A11 Thetford Bypass
Signposted from the road.
IP24 1QN
map and directions
Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them.
A spacious site in Thetford Forest.
Facilities
Outdoor Space: Grass verges only
Forecourt: on both sides: BP, Londis, Costa Express, Dunkin' Donuts
plus westbound only: Greggs, f'real Milkshakes, Stone Willy's Kitchen, Tango Ice Blast
and eastbound only: Subway, Calippo Slush, Rollover
Parking Prices
Short stay customer parking is available for all vehicles on both sides.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Smart Fuel Ltd
A11 Thetford By Pass
Thetford Road
Thetford
Norfolk
IP24 1QN
- Official MFG/Thetford Westbound website
- Official MFG/Thetford Eastbound website
- Foursquare Page
- 📞 Telephone number: 01842 770526 (westbound)
01842 770527 (eastbound)
Trivia and History
When the Thetford Bypass opened in 1987, space was left for a new facility near Abbey Heath - westbound being the larger of the two. Two online sites were reserved despite there being two roundabouts nearby.
Despite only holding a petrol station, both sites were built far back from the road to create a pleasant environment, with a large HGV parking area on each side. The westbound side is particularly large and includes a private access road to Thetford Sewage Treatment Works and some-sort of disused compound.
When they opened, both forecourts were branded Pace. They were rebranded Texaco in the early 2000s, but continued to be operated by Pace and its successor, MRH. MRH planned to add a Burger King Drive Thru to each site, but this didn't happen.
The westbound filling station was demolished in May 2017 and reopened with a new Hursts Grab & Go store alongside a Greggs store and Stone Willy's Kitchen. The eastbound filling station received similar treatment in early 2018 with the shop re-branding to Budgens. The westbound Hursts store was later replaced with Londis in 2020.
Planning permission for a Costa Drive Thru on the westbound site was granted by Breckland Council in August 2019, although following MRH's merger with MFG, this was expected to become their preferred brand, Starbucks. A further plan for an eastbound Starbucks drive thru emerged in May 2020. This land was instead sold to Brightside in late 2023, allowing their first restaurant in East Anglia to be built here. Land was cleared for this in early 2024, with the restaurant expected to open in 2025.
The eastbound side received another refurbishment in April 2024, relaunching on 25 April as a Londis replacing the Budgens branding along with a new Subway concession and food to go offers.
Alternatives
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