Guide to Kingsham services

One of two car dealerships with petrol stations positioned around one of the Chichester Bypass's many roundabouts: this one caters for eastbound traffic, but in practice traffic can use the roundabouts to turn around.

Facilities

Outdoor Space: Grass verge only; public footpath connection Forecourt: Esso, Shop'N Drive, Chicago Town Pizza, Costa Express, West Cornwall Pasty Co., Free Cash Machine, Car Wash, Jet Wash

Parking Prices

Short stay customer parking is available for cars on both sides. No HGV parking is available.

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

Contact Details

Trivia and History

A few years after the Stockbridge Roundabout opened, planning permission was granted for a pair of filling stations. They were opened in 1988 by City Garages Ltd as Texaco sites with Star Market stores, and often collectively known as 'City Garage'.

As this one was built on the former Kingsham Farm, it was named 'Kingsham', while its twin brother was named Stockbridge.

Both sites gained an AJ's restaurant in 1987, each with a dedicated car park. They both had play areas; this one was at the back. Both restaurants were put up for sale in 1996, with the eastbound restaurant set to become a Starvin Marvin's restaurant following their acquisition by the The Celebrated Group. This didn't happen and instead it was sold to a car dealership.

Both filling stations went on to gain Somerfield stores in the 2000s and in 2010, following the acquisition of the Somerfield chain, they were both acquired by The Co-operative Group who rebranded the stores to Co-op Food.

In 2017, both filling stations were sold to Rontec who rebranded the filling stations to Esso and introduced their own brand Shop'N Drive stores to each site.

Signage Issues

The service area used to be fully signed, advertising toilets, a petrol station (with the old-style pump symbol) and a restaurant. Those signs are now battered and mostly missing, suggesting the place doesn't want to be an official service area any more.

The eastbound half-mile sign had most its symbols covered up in 2012. It is still there, with its old-style pump symbol, but is usually covered by the bushes. The approach sign had its symbols covered up around the same time, leaving just the old pump symbol. In 2016 the sign was taken down and replaced with a non-standard 'Petrol Station' sign. There was an additional sign at the entrance, which was taken down around the time the symbols were covered up.

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