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Content:
Burtonwood
MSO Home - Services List - Burtonwood
Welcome Break services, M62 at J8
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Road: M62
Junction: J8
Operator: Welcome Break
Location: Cheshire WA5 3AX
Telephone: 01925 651656
Signed from the motorway? Yes
Previous operators: Trusthouse Forte
Previous names: none
Services type: Single site located on one side of the motorway with access for all traffic.
Official website: Visit Burtonwood/Welcome Break's official website
A shrinking service area at the end of the M62, the westbound side was recently boarded up and the eastbound became two-way.
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Facilities:
General: Cash Machine, BT Openzone, Gamezone, HA Traffic Information, Showers
Food/Drink: EAT IN, KFC
Shopping: WH Smith
Fuel: Shell (pump types unknown)
Motel: none
Photos:
Click on a photo to view the full size. If you have one to add, contact me. It's never too late to get your name in the limelight.
 | The disused (and soon to be demolished) service area on the westbound side. As nasty as this place looks, it really wasn't any better when it was open. Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
 | Another look at the building, it looks more like a sports pavilion than a service station. In fact, it's quite shocking that they managed to get a whole service area in such a small building. To the right is a pathway which heads behind the building and beneath the motorway, which is where westbound travellers were sent before the car park was closed. Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
 | It's hard to imagine that this was ever a service area, although to be fair it was a quiet one. The Granary - that name goes back years! Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
 | This is the main pathway between the car park and the building. Looks great, doesn't it? Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
 | Looking down the pathway which connects the building to the hotel, I wonder if those lights still work. There's something about this which makes me feel like I'm living in a scale model, it's great. Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
 | The hotel from the front. It looks like an average Travelodge, and that'll probably be because it was built by them in 1995. Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
 | Looking back at the whole thing, this would have been your view as you entered the service area. The car park was this bad when the services were open. Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
 | The signs on the motorway still point drivers down here, so this sign stands in the lorry park (the only open parking area) and attempts to tell confused drivers where to go. Having seen the state of this site, would you really want to go and see what the other one is like? Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
 | The westbound petrol station is still open. Also in this shot are some old Welcome Break streetlights and a road sign, which have been replaced by trendier but less functional versions at most other services. To the right is a police stop, is it still in use? Photo taken in 2008 by Steven Jukes. |
Trivia:
Burtonwood has slowly, over time, become a rather neglected service area. They were badly hurt when the missing J8 was utilized to serve Gemini Retail Park and the westbound services have now been boarded up and abandoned. Westbound traffic can access the eastbound services via the J8 roundabout and the old emergency access road.
Before the closure, Burtonwood had very much become a 'no-go zone' amongst truckers as it was renowned for being dodgy and dangerous. Halving the site meant that some of the facilities had to be lost, including (unusually for a Welcome Break), the lack of a Burger King and a Coffee Primo.
On the other hand, the eastbound site has been refurbished and it has joined up as a coach interchange.
The services consist (or consisted) of two pagoda-style buildings which are visible from the motorway. They are said to be haunted as they are built on the site of a disused airfield where an aircraft crashed in the 50s. Perhaps that's why they didn't do very well.
A website has now been set up for former staff at Burtonwood, it can be found here: Burtonwood services.
Survey results:
I am not aware of any surveys which these services have featured in. If you know better, let me know!
Parking Prices:
Vehicle: | For up to 2 hours: | For 2 hours to 24 hours: |
| Cars: | FREE | £8* |
| HGVs & Carvans: | FREE | £15** |
| Coaches: | FREE | £15** |
* Price includes a £2 meal voucher, ** Price includes a £6 meal voucher | ||
Alternatives:
- Charnock Richard Welcome Break services on the M6, 20 miles to the east.
- Hartshead Moor Welcome Break services on the M62, 44 miles to the east.
- Birch Moto services on the M62, 20 miles to the east.
- Lymm Moto/Poplar 2000 services on the M6, 10 miles to the east.
- Knutsford Moto services on the M6, 15 miles to the east.
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