Trowell services

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Trowell Services
Trowell Services.jpg
M1 heading southbound
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Trowell Services
Location in Nottinghamshire, England
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Trowell Services
Location on the UK motorway network
Information
County Nottinghamshire
Road M1
Coordinates: 52°57′48″N1°15′58″W / 52.9632°N 1.2660°W / 52.9632; -1.2660
Operator Moto Hospitality
Date opened23 March 1967[ citation needed ]
Website moto-way.com/services/trowell-northbound/

Trowell services is a motorway service station off the M1 motorway in Trowell, Nottinghamshire, England, situated north of Junction 25. Opened in 1967 by Mecca Leisure, it is currently owned by Moto. The services are situated near Nottingham.

Contents

History

In August 1963 it was to cost £350,000, sited on the north part of Trowell Moor, to be built by January 1966. [1]

Construction

The service area was going to be slightly further south, nearer to the A609, with planning permission given in April 1962. It was built by John Laing. Laing also built Keele around the same time; Laing had also built five teaching blocks and eight halls of residence at the University of Nottingham. [2] It was known as the Mecca Village. The site was planned to open in summer 1966, with the contract awarded on in January 1964, and construction was to start in 1965. [3] [4]

It opened on Thursday 23 March 1967, with a special area for dogs, developed with the RSPCA. [5] At the opening were around 300 people, with many chairmen of local rural district councils, and the Sheriff of Nottingham, Elliot Durham, and Alan Fairley, joint chairman of Mecca Ltd. [6]

It had 24 acres (9.7 ha), and employed 300, being opened seven months after the M1 motorway section; this section of motorway took two years to be built, and cost £4.75 million; the motorway section was built from junction 25 to Stanton by Dale by George Wimpey, and the next part to junction 26 was built by Robert M Douglas; the section was opened on Thursday 25 August 1966. The motorway section was meant to open in January 1966, part of the Lockington-Nuthall section.

Decoration

George Dereford, a Hungarian artist from Marlow, Buckinghamshire, made two three-dimensional mosaic murals about Robin Hood, in an Aztec style, near the entrances, being seven foot high called The Fighting Horsemen and The Archer. [7] The Robin Hood Way currently follows half of the service road, to the east.

Northbound entrance in March 2012 M1 northbound near Trowell - geograph.org.uk - 2843227.jpg
Northbound entrance in March 2012

Food

There were six catering units; the site could cater for up to 750 in 1966: [8]

Manageresses completed two-year catering and hotel management courses at Clarendon College of Further Education. [10]

Truckers in February 2014 Taking a break - geograph.org.uk - 3857024.jpg
Truckers in February 2014

Buildings

It had 60 petrol pumps, a post office, a RAC station, a police station, with Robin Hood shields in the entrance. There was a business conference building for up to 250 people. The car parks were for 400 vehicles. It was managed from Trowell Hall.

Operation

In November 1984, there were 120 staff, with a Burger Express. The southbound restaurant was closed in winter. Tea was 40p, coffee was 40p, breakfast was £2.35, beefburgers were £2.10, fish and chips was £1.85, and soup was 60p. [11]

In July 1999, an English breakfast was £4.99, and fish and chips was £5.99. A pot of Tetley tea was £1.49, and a cup of coffee was £1.79. [12]

See also

References

  1. Nottingham Evening Post Tuesday 6 August 1963, page 4
  2. Birmingham Daily Post Tuesday 17 January 1967, page 11
  3. Leicester Mercury Tuesday 21 January 1964, page 5
  4. Stapleford & Sandiacre News Friday 24 January 1964, page 1
  5. Daily Mirror Thursday 23 March 1967, page 3
  6. Long Eaton Advertiser Friday 31 March 1967, page 5
  7. Reading Evening Post Monday 24 October 1966, page 7
  8. Nottingham Evening Post Thursday 18 August 1966, page 1
  9. Stapleford & Sandiacre News Friday 24 March 1967, page 1
  10. Nottingham Guardian Thursday 6 July 1967, page 6
  11. Nottingham Evening Post Monday 19 November 1984, page 35
  12. Derby Evening Telegraph Tuesday 13 July 1999, page 10
Nearby Robin Hood Way in February 2009 Two Markers for the Robin Hood Way - geograph.org.uk - 1161034.jpg
Nearby Robin Hood Way in February 2009


Next southbound:
Donington Park
Motorway service stations on the
M1 motorway
Next northbound:
Tibshelf