London Gateway services

London Gateway services is the southernmost motorway service station on the M1 motorway – between Junctions 2 and 4 – north of London, England.^{[citation needed]} It is between Arkley and Edgware on the west side of the road, has a hotel, and, unusually, has an early give way on its northern approach.

London Gateway Services
The main building
London Gateway Services Location in Greater London, England Show map of Greater London London Gateway Services Location in Barnet, London Show map of London Borough of Barnet London Gateway Services Location on the UK motorway network Show map of UK motorways
Information
County	Greater London
Road	M1
Coordinates:	51.631°N 0.264°W / 51.631; -0.264
Operator	Welcome Break
Previous name(s)	Scratchwood Services
Date opened	1969
Website	welcomebreak.co.uk/locations/london-gateway/

History

It opened in 1969, run by Forte, and was opened as Scratchwood Services.

The guns in both forward turrets on the museum ship HMS Belfast, moored between Tower Bridge and London Bridge some 11.7 miles away in the centre of London, are elevated and trained on the London Gateway Motorway Services Area to illustrate the range of the ship's armament.^[1]

A reserved section of the current service area is a major long-distance coach service interchange.

Construction

Its main approaches are those built for an abortive junction 3 of the M1 for a spur (as at junction 2) to link to the A1.

Planning permission for a Tesla Supercharger, consisting of 32 stalls to be built at the site,^[2] was granted on 18 May 2018,^[3] but the stalls are yet to open.

Incidents

On Friday 19 November 1993 HM Customs and Excise stopped a vehicle at the service area, and found Britain's largest seizure of heroin, worth £30m, under Operation Zarzuela. It had been driven from Turkey, and had 200kg of heroin, via the 'Balkan Route'.^[4]

On 6 September 1997, many people parked at the service station to witness the passing of the funeral hearse of Diana, Princess of Wales^{[citation needed]} on its way along with the M1 from central London to her burial place in Althorp, Northamptonshire.

Ramada Hotel, London Gateway Services

Layout

It has a separate, first, northbound approach, targeted at its hotel part, the roads of which are linked to the rest of the complex.

The entry and exit spur for the motorway's southbound carriageway cross (to and from) the services at a high point on the west side. The service station has an unusual give way for the entry spur mentioned (vehicles coming from the north must give way).

To the far south is a linked, controlled access, emergency vehicle road to/from Ellesmere Avenue.^[5]