Leigh Delamere services

Leigh Delamere services is a motorway service station on the M4 motorway situated one mile west of Junction 17, between Bristol and Swindon (close to Chippenham and Malmesbury). It takes its name from the adjoining village of Leigh Delamere. It is one of Europe's largest service stations.

Leigh Delamere Services
The eastbound services
Leigh Delamere Services
Location within Wiltshire
Information
CountyWiltshire
RoadM4
Coordinates:51.511528°N 2.159468°W / 51.511528; -2.159468
OperatorMoto Hospitality
Date opened3 February 1972[1]
WebsiteMoto

The service area is owned by Moto Hospitality.

History

It was planned to open in January or February 1972, run by Esso Tavernas; other sites of Esso were Birch Services, Washington services, Woolley Edge services, Southwaite Services. The site cost £650,000.

Opening

It opened on Monday 3 February 1972, with the largest petrol station in the UK.

Buildings

It served petrol only for the first 8 weeks

Food

At opening it had 188 restaurant seats and 60 cafeteria seats.[2][3]

The station is mentioned in The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and is supposedly named after the mother of an associate of the main villain. It features several times in BBC's Gavin & Stacey, although scenes purportedly at Leigh Delamere were filmed at Cardiff Gate services in Wales.

References
  1. Motorway Services Trivia - Chronology Archived 2 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine - Accessed 21 January 2009
  2. The People Sunday 2 January 1972, page 10
  3. Reading Evening Post Monday 3 January 1972, page 7
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