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==Facilities== | ==Facilities== | ||
| - | '''General''': [[BT WiFi]], [[Welcome Break Gaming]], [[Traffic Information]], Showers<br /> | + | '''General''': [[BT WiFi]], [[Welcome Break Gaming]], [[Traffic Information]], Showers, Meeting Room<br /> |
'''Restaurants''': {{Burger King}}, {{Starbucks}}, {{Eat In}}, {{KFC}}<br /> | '''Restaurants''': {{Burger King}}, {{Starbucks}}, {{Eat In}}, {{KFC}}<br /> | ||
'''Shops''': {{WHSmith|costaexpress=yes|krispykreme=yes}}, {{Fone Bitz}}, {{Waitrose|(W)}}<br /> | '''Shops''': {{WHSmith|costaexpress=yes|krispykreme=yes}}, {{Fone Bitz}}, {{Waitrose|(W)}}<br /> | ||
Latest revision as of 23:00, 22 September 2012
| Membury | |
| Welcome Break | |
 | |
| Road: | M4 between J14 and J15 |
| Address: | Welcome Break M4 Services Membury Motorway Services Area Lambourn Hungerford Berkshire RG17 7TZ |
| Telephone number: | 01488 674360 |
| Signposted from the road? | As Starbucks/Waitrose(westbound) Starbucks/KFC (eastbound) |
| Opened: | 1972 |
| Previous operators: | Ross |
| Grid reference: | SU308760 |
| Services type: | Two sites located between junctions, connected by a pedestrian footbridge. |
| Visit Membury/Welcome Break's official website Facebook Page | |
Well-landscaped if not slightly old-fashioned service area in the middle of Wiltshire, now furnished with the usual brands.
Contents |
Facilities
General: BT WiFi, Welcome Break Gaming, Traffic Information, Showers, Meeting Room
Restaurants: Burger King, Starbucks, Eat In, KFC
Shops: WHSmith (with Costa Express Krispy Kreme), Fone Bitz, Waitrose (westbound only)
Fuel: BP (with: Wild Bean Café LPG Ecotricity electric vehicle charging point)
Motel: Days Inn[book rooms]
Parking Prices
First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £10. Further information is not available, please update this if you know.
Prices can be paid in the shop and restaurant, with instructions in each car park. They are strictly enforced by ParkingEye.
Trivia
Membury is built on the site of the old RAF Membury airfield. Within it is a mural painted by David Fisher, who was recruited by Forte to paint one for most of their services.
The fuel forecourt is not owned by Welcome Break but is actually a BP corporate site, under the BP Connect brand, suggesting that Membury is one of the Highways Agency owned sites. The eastbound petrol station has an unusual layout whereby refuelling vehicles face what appears to be the wrong way. Not particularly remarkable, but slightly odd.
Both sides have Rear Access.
History
Ross originally wanted the services to be a replica of their first site at Leicester Forest East, however they couldn't afford to manage the traffic on the M4 whilst the bridge was being built. Even so, remnants of the idea can still be seen: both sides have a restaurant on a second floor which is accessed on a staircase, with the option of eating outdoors on a terrace. Moving the restaurant upstairs creates a rare bit of space in the rest of the services.
The services have an extra building which used to be a Happy Eater, later a Little Chef and then a Red Hen. It closed with the demise of Red Hen, the westbound side is now a training centre, while the eastbound side is unchanged and appears to contain a lot of the original furniture. This building is now utilises the new Starbucks drive thru outlet.
A Starbucks drive thru also opened here on the eastbound side on the 8th August 2012, A second service station with a Starbucks drive thru for Welcome Break. The new drive thru outlet utilises the old Little Chef restaurant, away from all the main facilities.
Survey Results
In May 2012 and August 2011, Visit England rated the westbound services as 4 stars and the eastbound side as 3 stars.
In 2007, the westbound services won a four-star loo award. The eastbound side won a three-star loo award.
In 2006, the services won a four star loo award.
Also in 2006, Holiday Which? rated the services at 3/5.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Chieveley (11 miles) | Services on the M4 | Leigh Delamere (29 miles) |
| none nearby | Welcome Break services |
none nearby on M4 Michaelwood (M5 north, 56 miles) Gordano (M5 south, 56 miles) |
With thanks to Alan Simpson for the information used on this page.