Somerset is a county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the south-west. It is bounded to the north and west by the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel, its coastline facing southeastern Wales. Its traditional border with Gloucestershire is the River Avon. Somerset's county town is Taunton.
Bridgwater is a large historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. Its population currently stands at around 35,886 as of 2011. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies along both sides of the River Parrett; it has been a major inland port and trading centre since the industrial revolution. Most of its industrial bases still stand today. Its larger neighbour, Taunton, is linked to Bridgwater via a canal, the M5 motorway and the GWR railway line.
North Petherton is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Quantocks, and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels. The town has a population of 6,730. The parish includes Hamp, Melcombe, Shearston, Woolmersdon and Huntworth.
Puriton is a village and parish at the westerly end of the Polden Hills, in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 1,968. The local parish church is dedicated to St Michael and All Angels. A chapel on Woolavington Road was converted to a private house some 20 years ago. The parish includes the hamlets of Dunball and Down End.
Creech St Michael is a village and civil parish in Somerset, three miles east of Taunton in the Somerset West and Taunton district. The parish straddles the M5 motorway and includes several scattered settlements. The village of Creech St Michael and the hamlets of Charlton, Creech Heathfield, and Ham lie east of the motorway. The hamlets of Adsborough, Coombe, Langaller, and Walford lie west of the motorway. The parish has a population of 2,416.
Moto Hospitality, branded as Moto, is a British service station operator which operates 59 motorway service stations across the United Kingdom. It is currently the UK's largest service area operator.
Stafford services is a pair of motorway service stations on the M6 motorway near Stone, Staffordshire, England. In August 2011 it was rated as 4 stars and 3 stars by quality assessors at Visit England.
Heston services is a motorway service station on the M4 motorway in the London Borough of Hounslow, built on land that once formed part of the now defunct Heston Aerodrome.
Frankley services is a motorway service station on the M5 motorway between Junctions 3 and 4, near Birmingham, and taking its name from the nearby village of Frankley.
Cullompton services is a motorway service station on the M5 motorway near Exeter. It is owned by Extra MSA. It has a McDonald's restaurant which is franchised and offers table service, a small WHSmith and a Costa Coffee which is owned by Moto Hospitality. There is also a Shell petrol station nearby.
Pease Pottage services is a motorway service station at Junction 11 of the M23 motorway near Crawley. It is owned by Moto.
Thurrock services is a motorway service station in Thurrock, Essex, England, serving the M25 motorway, and the Dartford Crossing (A282). It was planned in the mid-1980s and opened after the M25 was completed. Originally popular, the services have gradually deteriorated and have attracted criticism for poor facilities. The services have also been a magnet for drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
Tamworth services is a motorway service station on the M42 motorway near Tamworth Staffordshire, England. The border between Staffordshire and Warwickshire runs through the middle of Tamworth Services. Tamworth Services opened in 1990. It is owned by Moto. The service station is situated off junction 10, and is thus accessible to non-motorway traffic via the A5.
Severn View services, formerly Aust Services is a motorway service station on the M48 motorway near the village of Aust, northwest of Bristol. It is owned by Moto.
Motorway service areas in the United Kingdom and Ireland, also known as 'service stations' or 'services', are places where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel/recharge, rest, eat and drink, shop or stay in an on-site overnight hotel. The vast majority of motorway services in the UK are owned by one of three companies: Moto, Welcome Break and Roadchef. Smaller operators include Extra, Westmorland and EuroGarages.
Woolley Edge services is a motorway service station on the M1 motorway near Wakefield within the borough of the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It lies between junctions 38 and 39 close to West Bretton and west of the village of Woolley.
Wetherby Services is a motorway service area north of Wetherby on the A1(M) motorway in northern England. It opened in September 2008, and the hotel opened later. The service station is situated at junction 46 of the A1(M), the interchange between the A1(M) and the B1224. The service area is accessed from a roundabout, making it accessible from both sides of the motorway. It lies just inside North Yorkshire in the parish of Kirk Deighton, although the town of Wetherby is on the West Yorkshire side of the boundary. It is operated by Moto Hospitality.
The earliest known infrastructure for transport in Somerset is a series of wooden trackways laid across the Somerset Levels, an area of low-lying marshy ground. To the west of this district lies the Bristol Channel, while the other boundaries of the county of Somerset are along chains of hills that were once exploited for their mineral deposits. These natural features have all influenced the evolution of the transport network. Roads and railways either followed the hills, or needed causeways to cross the Levels. Harbours were developed, rivers improved, and linked to sources of traffic by canals. Railways were constructed throughout the area, influenced by the needs of the city of Bristol, which lies just to the north of Somerset, and to link the ports of the far south-west with the rest of England.
Rugby services is a motorway service station operated by Moto Hospitality and situated at junction 1 of the M6 motorway in Warwickshire, England.
