Guide to East Horndon services

Location:

A127 eastbound at Halfway House, East Horndon

(Limited road signage.)

Postcode:

CM13 3LL

map and directions

Access/Layout:

Single site located at a junction (no turning allowed).


A choice between an old pub and a refurbished coffee shop, at the East Horndon exit.

Facilities

Catering: Starbucks, The Halfway House Amenities: Travelodge Outdoor Space: No grass space; public footpath connections

Parking Prices

Short stay customer parking is available for cars. No HGV parking is available.

Parking within Halfway House car park is for users of the venue only and is strictly enforced by National Enforcement Solutions.

This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.

Contact Details

🏢 Address:
Arterial Road
West Horndon
Brentwood
Essex
CM13 3LL


Trivia and History

The former Little Chef is now a Starbucks.

The Halfway House Pub was built in the 1930s, next to Keepers Cottage, on the Southend Arterial Road by its junction with Brentwood Road. The building next to it became an independent restaurant, and there was a petrol station there too. There was an additional restaurant and filling station on the westbound side.

The remaining restaurant was purchased by Little ChefHistory in 1968, becoming their East Horndon branch. They rebuilt this in 1982.

A Little Chef Lodge was built in what was the back garden in 1986, and this was officially opened by the Chairman of Brentwood Council, Cllr Eric Mather and his wife Mollie, on 18 July 1986. The following April, the hotel was chosen as the site of one of the county's first tourist information signs.

The Little Chef gained the Little Chef Choices refurbishment in 2002, whereby Harry Ramsden's and Caffè Ritazza were added but later removed. A Coffee Tempo! was also later added. The hotel became a Travelodge.

Little Chef was acquired by Euro Garages in 2017, who closed the restaurant here and refurbished the building into a Starbucks store.

Construction is underway on adding six Osprey electric vehicle chargers to the Halfway House car park, although this would be primarily accessed from the Brentwood Road entrance, which allows for travel in both directions.

Westbound Side

Meanwhile, the westbound side became a nightclub called Elliot's (later Twighlites) before closing in the mid-1980s, leaving behind two derelict buildings. Since closing, there have been several plans to redevelop the westbound site, including a full service area proposed by both Petrofina and Burmah Oil during the early 1990s.

There had also been plans to turn the building into a restaurant and a car sales showroom, but the building was the victim of an arson attack in the mid-1990s which saw interest in the site decline. The site was later hidden from view by large advertisement boards alongside the slip roads during the 2000s.

The derelict buildings were finally demolished in 2019, when a new housing development was built. The new housing development now sits on its own private road named 'Elliots Close', referencing the original night club.

Alternatives

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noneServices on the A127Hovefield (eastbound, 7 miles)