Townsend services
A303 eastbound between Ilchester and Ilminster
Signposted from the road.
BA22 8PF
map and directions
Single site located between junctions on one side of the road.
A small petrol station providing the facilities missing at Cartgate picnic area. Townsend Garage is also a local recovery firm.
Facilities
Catering: Somer Thyme Restaurant; The Hub 303 Outdoor Space: Small grass space at forecourt entrance only (care needed) Forecourt: Texaco, Shop, Havana Coffee
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:
Townsend Garage
Tintinhull
Yeovil
Somerset
BA22 8PF
Trivia and History
The service area originally opened as Townsend Garage, with fuelling facilities first being added in 1955, and redeveloped in 1968. In 1968 and 1989 there were plans to build a hotel here.
A restaurant was built next to the garage in 1971, which Little Chef planned to turn into their Tintinhull branch in 1981, but by 1985 it was gone with no evidence of it having ever opened. The restaurant later became Jolly Diner, then Diners Delight, then Get Battered and in 2019 was taken over by GrillHouse. GrillHouse traded until September 2022 when it closed owing to financial difficulties. The building later became home to The Hub 303 in May 2024.
The forecourt rebranded from Shell to Texaco in April 2022.
There is a secret exit onto Bearley Lane, which even has its entry signposted as 'services'. It is probably used mostly by people who turned onto Bearley Lane by mistake. Strictly speaking Bearley Lane also allows A303 westbound traffic to use the service area, but the trunk road authority would not encourage use of that dangerous right turn.
Alternatives
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| Podimore (4 miles) | Services on the A303 | Cartgate picnic area (1 mile) Cartgate Garage (westbound, 2 miles) Ilminster (11 miles) |