Kingdom

Kingdom
(former)

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Road:	A92 at Crossgates Roundabout (Google Maps link)
Address:	Crossgates Road Halbeath Fife KY11 7EG
Services type:	Single site located at a junction.

Kingdom services (its name referring to the Kingdom of Fife) is still signposted from the Crossgates Roundabout, even though it has been turned into an ordinary industrial estate. It dreamed of being a proper service area.

With the opening of the new A92, large roundabouts were provided at Halbeath and Crossgates. It had always been the intention that eventually a new link road to the M90 would take most the traffic away from those roundabouts, leaving an industrial area that would be marooned by major roads.

In 1998 the plans were put through for Kingdom services. It consisted of a single building with the petrol forecourt on one side and service station on the other, very similar to the likes of Derby & Buton and Leicester today. This wasn't the first time a service station has been built in the middle of a junction either, as the nearby Stirling services demonstrates.

It was built by BP and offered a SPAR shop, alongside a Wimpy and self-service restaurant. A large lorry park was provided for HGVs.

Signage Problems

As Kinross services had already opened on the M90, it was decided that the new Kingdom would not qualify for signage on the motorway. This decision created a fuss and made it to the national press, but the government stood by their position.

It was agreed that the service area could still be signed from the A92, but this would only cover one of the main approaches. Large adverts were placed at the back of the forecourt which backed on to the slip road leaving the M90, but this information was no good to motorists who would have already missed the exit for the services.

Being too difficult for anybody except HGVs looking for somewhere to park, this incarnation of Kingdom closed in the early 2000s.

Return of Kingdom

Traffic passes the adverts, with no opportunity to stop.

For a short while the services opened again, but in the form of Peggy Sue's American Diner. This was marketed more at local visitors who were less worried about the detour from the motorway, but it closed in 2004.

In 2006 Shell decided that it must be third time lucky, and that they could make Kingdom work. They re-opened the petrol station and replaced the sign backing on to the slip road with their very own. The new filling station also had a Nisa Local, and Shell had a plan to make things work.

The half of the building which had previously acted as the service station was this time opened as the Kingdom of Fun, a children's activity centre. The new Kingdom was separated from the filling station, creating two distinctively different facilities under one roof. Both were advertised from the Crossgates Roundabout.

Packing It In

The Shell station didn't last so long, and closed in 2008. It opened as an independent "Kingdom Services" branded site, still with the soft play area attached. This soldiered on for another five years, until finally in 2013 it closed and the whole area was demolished. Meanwhile, the rest of the road has been developed into a busy industrial estate, and lorries continue to take breaks here.

As of 2020, the site of the services is now a depot for Fife Council. It is still signed from the both sides of A92, but no further trace of the services exists.