Motorway Services Online

Retrieved from "https://motorwayservices.uk"

Chieveley services

Location:

M4 at J13
A34 between Newbury and Didcot

Signposted from the road? Yes (westbound)
poorly (eastbound)

Postcode:

RG18 9XX

map and directions

Access/Layout:

Single site located at a junction..

Rating: See the reviews


Originally a small offer on the A34 southbound, Chieveley grew to become a full service area at the complex M4 interchange.

Facilities

Catering: Template:Arlo's, Burger King, Costa Coffee, Greggs, West Cornwall Pasty Co., Costa Express, Krispy Kreme, M&S Coffee to Go Shops: Template:Ladbrokes, M&S Simply Food, WHSmith Amenities: Children's Play Area, Template:Ecotricity, Full Hou$e, Lucky Coin, Showers : Travelodge Forecourt: BP, Shop, Costa Coffee, Costa Express, Krispy Kreme, Air1 AdBlue

Parking Prices

First two hours free for all vehicles, after which charges apply.

There are two car parks at Chieveley services:

  1. There is a long stay car park on the left as you enter, signposted Travelodge. Here cars must pay £16 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £30. HGVs can pay £31.50 to include a £10 food voucher. The location code is 2433.
  2. The parking in front of the restaurants and shops (on the right as you come in) costs £25 for stays over two hours. The location code is 2482.

If you don't see the long stay parking on your way in then you have to leave the services and navigate the roundabout network to make your way back in. There is no way to drive to the long stay parking once you have reached the short stay car park.

Prices are paid using PayByPhone - more details. The fees are strictly enforced by CP Plus.

Contact Details

🏢 Address:
Moto Hospitality Ltd
Chieveley Motorway Services Area
Oxford Road
Hermitage
Thatcham
Berkshire
RG18 9XX


Trivia and History

Chieveley Arlo's restaurant.jpg
The new Arlo's restaurant.

Camera icon
Camera icon

Opened by Granada 1986
Re-branded Moto 2001

Upon opening, some posters called it 'Newbury (Chieveley)'. Most services used local names at the time and Granada appeared to go back to this.

There is a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel opposite the services, but it's not part of the Moto site. To avoid confusion, both the Hilton Hotel and Moto's on-site Travelodge are signed as tourist attractions, and when they're in the same direction the legend "hotels" is used.

Like most M4 services, Chieveley was discussed on Gavin and Stacey, where Smithy says of it "Chieveley's the best, it's insane".

In 2010 the AA pointed out that the fuel at Chieveley cost 7p more than a local garage one mile away. Moto blamed BP for the prices, while BP blamed Moto.

Design

When opened, the building was a small square shape, with a central atrium. The atrium had doors to the two restaurants branching off it.

There were 229 car parking spaces, 86 HGV spaces and 9 coach spaces.

Recent Additions

In 2000, as Granada were developing small shopping centres, there was a plan to add four shops to the north end of the building, where a new entrance would have been. This didn't happen.

Expansion works later added a Costa, West Cornwall Pasty Co. and seating area to the front of the services as part of an extended lobby area. This has become standard.

On 23 March 2015, a new trial restaurant called Arlo's Pantry & Kitchen opened here - the first at a Moto service area. The trial was successful and Chieveley's neighbouring Moto sites Reading and Leigh Delamere also gained an Arlo's. Arlo's is based in the centre of the old atrium, taking attention away from the main Costa unit, whereas EDC's servery had occupied most of the back of the building.

Junction

Chieveley services sign.
For years this non-standard sign was the only one on the M4.

The services originally sat on the A34 southbound with a link back to the Chieveley Roundabout, hugging the existing maintenance depot in the corner. It was they technically designed only to accommodate A34 traffic, but the appeal of the location for Granada was that it could serve the M4 too. Upon opening, signs were placed on the M4 as a temporary arrangement until Reading opened.

A 1993 survey found 4.3% of A34 northbound drivers were stopping at Chieveley, while 7.9% of southbound drivers were, showing a significant reluctance to turn at the roundabout.

In 2004 much-needed capacity improvement works came to the Chieveley Interchange, which involved directing the A34 away from the roundabout. The works gave Chieveley services a new entrance, and signs for the services (some non-standard) were placed on the M4. Some of the distance signs were never updated, and even some new List Signs skip Chieveley

The old loop road isn't needed any more but it was originally still there for works traffic. Further changes saw the works traffic given a new exit, and the loop road closed as a redundant reminder of the old main exit. A farm continues to be accessed from the services.

Alternatives

Previous:Next:
Reading (12 miles)Services on the M4Membury (12 miles)
Tot Hill (9 miles)Services on the A34Berkshire Down (southbound only, 8 miles)
Didcot (13 miles)
Reading (12 miles)Moto servicesLeigh Delamere (40 miles)
Cherwell Valley (M40 north, 44 miles)

Visitor Feedback

Visitors can leave public feedback on their experience by logging into the CommentBox app. You can do so quickly below:


Views expressed in these comments are those of the individual contributor. User accounts are managed by CommentBox.io. Registration helps prevent automated spam.
We ask the companies named to check here, but we can't force them to do so.