A303 closed services?

[RizzoTheRat]

I often notice the closed off slip road near Andover on the A303, and just had a quick look at the area on google

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=andover&...

Anyone know what that's about? Presumably an old services that's shut down? That's a hell of a lot of concrete blocks to close the roads off.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=andover&...

[CatherineJ]

Can't tell from the links which slip road/services you are referring to.

[Mroad]

Guess you mean here:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=andover&...

Same guess as you, services closed with appropriate anti pikey barriers installed.

[Benmac]

Yep, opened as a Happy Eater back in the mid eighties IIRC. Think it may have been a Little Chef during is time as well before closing.

I grew up in Anna Valley which is a few miles away. I can remember being oddly impressed by the presence of a happy eater so near to home when I was about 7.

I think I recall seeing some Urbex photos taken there when looking at this site's nemesis 28DL.

Edited by Benmac on Thursday 27th May 20:02

[jeevescat]

Yeap, it's the same on both carriageways. More like tank traps

[BlueRex]

Benmac said:

Yep, opened as a Happy Eater back in the mid eighties IIRC. Think it may have been a Little Chef during is time as well before closing.

I grew up in Anna Valley which is a few miles away. I can remember being oddly impressed by the presence of a happy eater so near to home when I was about 7.

I think I recall seeing some Urbex photos taken there when looking at this site's nemesis 28DL.

Edited by Benmac on Thursday 27th May 20:02

I grew up near Weyhill, so just down the road!

Closed about 5 years ago, if memory serves. Despite being on a fairly busy route, it always seemed pretty dead. It's built on the top half of the old Andover airfield, a site that some developers want to put a million square feet of warehouse on, when there are empty buildings on the Portway industrial estate on the other side of the road.

[RizzoTheRat]

Mroad said:

Guess you mean here:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=andover&...

Same guess as you, services closed with appropriate anti pikey barriers installed.

Oops, didn't check the link, but that's the place. Spent quite a bit of time on the 303 since my parents moved to Dorset in '91 but don't ever remember the services.

[rob1234]

Was wondering the same thing last Monday - I assumed (correctly!) it was a disused service station.

Thought a couple of laps would make a good autocross, but those barriers would put a serious slow on a full Armd BG, let alone a Corrado...

[gareth h]

The blocks are probably to keep the hippies out at solstice time.

[CatfishCKY]

You're all quite right - closed down Little Chefs. I had a look around back in 2006 - not much to see really. (and before anyone asks, no I don't pilfer the copper to sell!) The none burnt one had been raped by pikeys, and the burnt one was nothing but a shell!

Edited by CatfishCKY on Friday 28th May 21:25

[Benmac]

BlueRex said:

Benmac said:

Yep, opened as a Happy Eater back in the mid eighties IIRC. Think it may have been a Little Chef during is time as well before closing.

I grew up in Anna Valley which is a few miles away. I can remember being oddly impressed by the presence of a happy eater so near to home when I was about 7.

I think I recall seeing some Urbex photos taken there when looking at this site's nemesis 28DL.

Edited by Benmac on Thursday 27th May 20:02

I grew up near Weyhill, so just down the road!

Closed about 5 years ago, if memory serves. Despite being on a fairly busy route, it always seemed pretty dead. It's built on the top half of the old Andover airfield, a site that some developers want to put a million square feet of warehouse on, when there are empty buildings on the Portway industrial estate on the other side of the road.

small world. Mate of mine lived up the lane that is sort of opposite the garage in Weyhill. His garden backed onto the graveyard.

[gareth h]

Benmac said:

BlueRex said:

Benmac said:

Yep, opened as a Happy Eater back in the mid eighties IIRC. Think it may have been a Little Chef during is time as well before closing.

I grew up in Anna Valley which is a few miles away. I can remember being oddly impressed by the presence of a happy eater so near to home when I was about 7.

I think I recall seeing some Urbex photos taken there when looking at this site's nemesis 28DL.

Edited by Benmac on Thursday 27th May 20:02

I grew up near Weyhill, so just down the road!

Closed about 5 years ago, if memory serves. Despite being on a fairly busy route, it always seemed pretty dead. It's built on the top half of the old Andover airfield, a site that some developers want to put a million square feet of warehouse on, when there are empty buildings on the Portway industrial estate on the other side of the road.

small world. Mate of mine lived up the lane that is sort of opposite the garage in Weyhill. His garden backed onto the graveyard.

And I spent my formative student years working behind the bar at The Star, when that road was the A303 and summers were spent feeding coachloads of grockles microwaved pasties.