MK42 9BF
map and directions
Single site located at a junction.
The Bedford Bypass was built in the 1990s and this small service area was built on a narrow strip of land in the corner of one of its junctions.
Facilities
Amenities: Holiday Inn Express Outdoor Space: Small grass area between forecourt and hotel car park Forecourt: BP, M&S Food, Wild Bean Café, Free Cash Machine
Parking Prices
Short stay customer parking is available for cars at both facilities. No HGV parking is available.
Parking within the hotel car park is restricted and guests are required to provide their vehicle registration number to reception in order to receive free parking during their stay. Public parking is also available by the YourParkingSpace app.
These restrictions are strictly enforced by YourParkingSpace.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Service Station
Wilstead Road
Elstow
Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK42 9BF
Trivia and History
The first plans for a service area here emerged in 1995, proposed by Action 2000 Ltd. It was timed to match the Bedford Southern Bypass, which was opened at the same time. The proposal initially covered the full plot of land including a filling station with car wash, restaurant, hotel and a lorry park, but this was later scaled back.
A BP filling station opened in 1997, having been planned by Mobil the year before. Shell had also registered a rival proposal.
Granada received planning permission to build a Little Chef restaurant on the remaining plot of land in 1999, but this was not built. Instead the hotel opened in around 2004 as a Holiday Inn Express, operated by Mango Hotels Limited who later became Atlas Hotels Limited.
The forecourt continues to be operated directly by BP to this day. In 2008 it became one of their BP Connect sites, receiving a M&S Simply Food store and Wild Bean Café in the process.
BP are planning to build four BP Pulse charging points here.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Marston Moretaine (5 miles) | Services on the A421 | Wyboston (A1 southbound, 10 miles) Brampton Hut (A1, 21 miles) |
| none | Services on the A6 | Market Harborough (45 miles) |