Motorway Services Online

Revision as of 20:11, 9 August 2022

Location:

A55 westbound between J33A and J33B

Signposted from the road.

Postcode:

Access/Layout:

Two sites staggered between junctions, with no public connection between them..

This is the service area on the A55 in Wales. For the one on the M1 near London, see London Gateway. For the one on the A16 at Lincs Gateway, see Spalding. For the one on the A82 near Glasgow, see Dumbarton Gateway.

A welcome to Wales for westbound motorists, with a variety of facilities spread out over a hill.

Facilities

Catering: Costa Coffee, McDonald's Drive Thru, OK Diner Amenities: Holiday Inn Outdoor Space: Grass bank behind McDonald's Charging Points: InstaVolt 120kW CCS & 50kW CHAdeMO Forecourt: Shell, Select, Deli by Shell, Costa Express, Air1 AdBlue, Free Cash Machine

Parking Prices

Short stay customer parking is available for cars at all facilities and each parking area is subject to its own restrictions.

Short stay HGV parking is only available in a lay-by on the exit slip.

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

Contact Details

🏢 Address:
Westbound A55 Expressway
Northop Hall
Mold
Flintshire
CH7 6HB

🌍 Operators & Official Websites:

Trivia and Design

Shell call this service area 'Northop', as opposed to Northop Hall on the other side of the road. However the road signs are clear that it is called 'Gateway services', and this is the name that has been used ever since it was developed.

There are a number of facilities spread out across the hill, but the Costa building claims to be the main public facility (the one meeting the contractual obligation to provide free toilets).

History

The service area was developed by Autolodge Hotels Ltd. It opened in the late 1980s with a forecourt, a hotel and space in the middle for more restaurants. A Little Chef was envisaged, so it could be a partner to Northop Hall, but this didn't happen.

The hotel was branded Northop Hall Autolodge, and it became a partner of Pavilion Lodge.

The westbound Subway and Costa building opened in 2008, with space in the middle for a Visit Wales tourist information centre that was never used. This building was built by Mold Developments Ltd, who took over from Autolodge. The Subway unit closed in 2018 and the unit is currently vacant.

Two InstaVolt chargers were installed in the westbound McDonald's car park in summer 2022.

Alternatives

Previous:		Next:
Northop Hall (eastbound only, ½ mile) Kinmel Park (21 miles)	Services on the A55	Saughall (A494, 7 miles)

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |operator =
 |image = Shell Gateway West 2022.jpg
-|prevname = Northop Hall
+|road = [[A55]] {{dir|W}} between J33A and J33B
-|road = [[A55]] between J33A and J33B
 |postcode = CH7 6HB
-|maplink = https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Shell/@53.1946241,-3.0878947,16z/
+|maplink = https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Shell/@53.1928629,-3.0847619,16z/
 |signposted = Yes
 |stype = Two sites staggered between junctions, with no public connection between them.
 |coords = 53.193145, -3.0810055
-|briefroad = A55 between J33A and J33B
+|briefroad = A55 westbound between J33A and J33B
 |gallery = Gateway (A55)
 |markerpost = 0150 }}
-''This is the services on the A55 in Wales. For the services on the M1 near London, see [[London Gateway]]. For the services on the A16 at Lincs Gateway, see [[Spalding]]. For the services on the A82 near Glasgow, see [[Dumbarton Gateway]].''
+''This is the service area on the A55 in Wales. For the one on the M1 near London, see [[London Gateway]]. For the one on the A16 at Lincs Gateway, see [[Spalding]]. For the one on the A82 near Glasgow, see [[Dumbarton Gateway]].''
-Better known as '''Northop Hall services''', this site offers a variety of facilities spread out over a hill.
+A welcome to Wales for westbound motorists, with a variety of facilities spread out over a hill.
 ==Facilities==
-===Westbound===
 {{facilities| Restaurants | {{Costa|NW|s}}, {{McDonald's|drivethru=yes|NW|s}}, {{OK Diner|NW|s}} |primary }}
 {{facilities| Amenities | {{Holiday Inn|NW|s}} |primary }}
 {{facilities| Outdoor Space | Grass bank behind McDonald's |primary }}
 {{facilities| Charging Points | InstaVolt 120kW CCS & 50kW CHAdeMO |primary }}
-{{facilities| Forecourt | {{Shell}}, {{Select}}, {{deli by Shell}}, {{Costa Express}}, Air1 AdBlue, Free Cash Machine |primary }}
+{{facilities| Forecourt | {{Shell|NW|s}}, {{Select|NW|s}}, {{deli by Shell|NW|s}}, {{Costa Express|NW|s}}, Air1 AdBlue, Free Cash Machine |primary }}
-===Eastbound===
-{{facilities| Restaurants | {{Greggs|SE|s}}, {{Starbucks|SE|s}} |primary }}
-{{facilities| Amenities | {{Travelodge|SE|s}} |primary }}
-{{facilities| Outdoor Space | Small grass areas around site |primary }}
-{{facilities| Forecourt | {{Shell}}, {{Select}}, {{deli by Shell}}, {{Costa Express}}, AdBlue Containers |primary }}
 ==Parking Prices==
-Short stay customer parking is available for cars at all facilities on both sides and each parking area is subject to their own restrictions.
+Short stay customer parking is available for cars at all facilities and each parking area is subject to its own restrictions.
-Short stay HGV parking is only available on the north-westbound side in a lay-by on the exit slip.
+Short stay HGV parking is only available in a lay-by on the exit slip.
 This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
@@ Line 41: / Line 33: @@
 ==Contact Details==
 {{Contact Details
-|address = A55 Expressway{{newline}}
+|address = Westbound A55 Expressway{{newline}}
 Northop Hall{{newline}}
 Mold{{newline}}
@@ Line 48: / Line 40: @@
 |gridref = SJ278667
 |websites =
-* [https://www.costa.co.uk/ Westbound coffee shop operated by Costa]
+* [https://www.costa.co.uk/ Coffee shop operated by Costa]
-* [https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/location/mold/gateway-a55/gateway-services-a55/8260519.html Westbound drive-thru restaurant operated by McDonald's]
+* [https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/location/mold/gateway-a55/gateway-services-a55/8260519.html Drive-thru restaurant operated by McDonald's]
-* [https://okdiners.com/northop-hall Westbound restaurant operated by OK Diner]
+* [https://okdiners.com/northop-hall Restaurant operated by OK Diner]
-* [https://www.eg.group Eastbound amenity building operated by EG Group]
+* [https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/chester/cheuk/hoteldetail Hotel operated by IHG]
-* [https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/chester/cheuk/hoteldetail Westbound Hotel operated by IHG]
+* [https://find.shell.com/gb/fuel/10019227-shell-northop/ Forecourt operated by Shell]
-* [https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/160/Chester-Northop-Hall-hotel/ Eastbound Hotel operated by Travelodge]
-* [https://www.shell.co.uk/ Forecourts operated by Shell]
 }}
 ==Trivia and Design==
-[[File:Costa Gateway 2022.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The main amenity building on the westbound side, now only home to a Costa unit.|alt=Costa Gateway (A55).]]
+[[File:Costa Gateway 2022.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The main amenity building, now only home to a Costa unit.|alt=Glass Costa building on a grass bank.]]
-When driving westbound, the road signs are very clear that the site is called '''Gateway services''', referring to its position just beyond the Welsh border. The eastbound side doesn't have a name but its facilities refer to themselves as '''Northop Hall'''. Total had originally called the eastbound forecourt '''Expressway Service Station''', but it is now just known as Northop Hall with "Expressway" being its address.
+Shell call this service area 'Northop', as opposed to [[Northop Hall]] on the other side of the road. However the road signs are clear that it is called 'Gateway services', and this is the name that has been used ever since it was developed.
-On the westbound side there are a number of facilities spread out across the hill, but the [[Costa]] building claims to be the main public facility (the one meeting the contractual obligation to provide free toilets).
+There are a number of facilities spread out across the hill, but the [[Costa]] building claims to be the main public facility (the one meeting the contractual obligation to provide free toilets).
-Shell installed four Shell Recharge electric vehicle charging points on the eastbound side in 2021. These aren't expected to be switched on until late 2022. Two InstaVolt chargers were installed in the westbound McDonald's car park in summer 2022.
 ===History===
-The two service areas here were originally planned as a pair of Little Chefs, but what opened was completely different.
+The service area was developed by Autolodge Hotels Ltd. It opened in the late 1980s with a forecourt, a hotel and space in the middle for more restaurants. A [[Little Chef]] was envisaged, so it could be a partner to Northop Hall, but this didn't happen.
-The westbound side opened in the late 1980s, and had a forecourt and a hotel with space in the middle left for more restaurants. The hotel and land around it was owned by Autolodge Hotels Ltd, with the hotel branded '''Northop Hall Autolodge'''. It gave its address as "Gateway services", and the hotel became a partner of [[Pavilion|Pavilion Lodge]].
-Meanwhile, the eastbound side opened in 1990 with a [[Happy Eater]], a [[Travelodge]] and a [[Total]] forecourt. Forte changed the Happy Eater to the more profitable {{Little Chef|Northop Hall}} brand in 1996, and this branch received additional attention with a thorough refurbishment providing air conditioning, new furniture and a blue colour scheme, in order to attract more evening diners.
-Under [[Granada]], a [[Burger King]] was opened, but the 'blue' changes were later undone and the Burger King itself closed. That unit became a [[Coffee Tempo!]] and later [[Little Chef Express]]. The restaurant was closed by [[Euro Garages]] in April 2017 and re-opened two months later as a [[Starbucks]]. A Greggs store then joined the Starbucks in late 2018.
+The hotel was branded '''Northop Hall Autolodge''', and it became a partner of [[Pavilion|Pavilion Lodge]].
 The westbound Subway and Costa building opened in 2008, with space in the middle for a Visit Wales tourist information centre that was never used. This building was built by '''Mold Developments Ltd''', who took over from Autolodge. The Subway unit closed in 2018 and the unit is currently vacant.
-The eastbound forecourt became [[Shell]] in 2012, and was re-built in 2016.
+Two InstaVolt chargers were installed in the westbound McDonald's car park in summer 2022.
 ==Alternatives==
 {{Succession start}}
-{{Succession|1|A55| [[Kinmel Park]] (21 miles) |
+{{Succession|1|A55| [[Northop Hall]] (eastbound only, ½ mile){{newline}}[[Kinmel Park]] (21 miles) |
 [[Saughall]] (A494, 7 miles) }}
 </table>
-[[Category:Little Chef]][[Category:A-roads (no motorway)]][[Category:A55]][[Category:EG Group services]]
+[[Category:A-roads (no motorway)]][[Category:A55]]