A303 eastbound between Basingstoke and Andover
Signposted from the road.
SO21 3BE
map and directions
Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them.
The older of the two service areas which mark the start of the long route to the West Country.
Facilities
Catering: Starbucks Drive Thru Outdoor Space: Small lawn at front of forecourt Forecourt: Esso, ASDA Express, Greggs, Starbucks on the Go, Free Cash Machine
Parking Prices
Short stay customer parking is available for cars. No HGV parking is available.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Micheldever Service Station
Micheldever
Winchester
Hampshire
SO21 3BE
Trivia and History
Access to a builder's yard is also provided through the service area.
The eastbound carriageway of the A303 is the original route of the A30. A filling station was provided at Micheldever in the 1950s, and it became the main service area, called Cocksford Down. The filling station gained Esso branding in the early 1980s.
As A Dual Carriageway
The road passing the service area was upgraded to dual carriageway in the late 1970s, at which point Cocksford Down became an eastbound-only service area. Popham became its opposite partner.
Trusthouse Forte then added the Micheldever branch of Little ChefHistory to the east of the filling station in 1985, allowing the site to market itself as the last service area before traffic joined the new M3 motorway.
The Little Chef closed as part of the 2004 closures, which targeted sites without hotels. It became an independent café called Popham Diner.
After Forte
Esso redeveloped the forecourt in 2005 adding a new canopy, pumps and larger sales building. The new sales building reopened as one of Esso's On the Run cafes with a Costa offering.
Euro Garages then acquired the eastbound filling station in September 2015 from Esso, and to them it is called Micheldever services. As part of the takeover, they replaced the On the Run Café and Costa offerings with new Greggs and Subway stores. Due to lack of custom, the Subway store later closed in September 2019.
The Popham Diner closed in early 2019. It was also acquired by EG Group, giving them full control of all the facilities here. They demolished the restaurant building and replaced it with a Starbucks Drive Thru, which opened in early 2020.
The forecourt transferred into the Asda estate in March 2024, relaunching on 26 March with a new Asda Express store.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Fleet (M3 east, 18 miles) | Services on the A303 | Popham (westbound, ¼ mile) The Buck (eastbound, 8 miles) |