South Mimms services
Encyclopedia
South Mimms services is a motorway service station operated by Welcome Break
at the junction of the M25 motorway
and the A1 at Bignell's Corner north of London
. The siting of the motorway service area has often been criticised, as it is at a heavily congested motorway-motorway intersection.
When constructed in 1986, it was the first service area on the M25. The building was destroyed in August 1998, following a fire started a deep fryer and the lack of a suitable fire suppression system
; an incident which has been subsequently studied. A total of four Motorway Service areas planned for the London Orbital motorway; South Mimms services, Thurrock services
and Clacket Lane services
were initially built
The fourth has now been approved at Cobham.
The MSA will be accessed between J9 & J10 of the M25, some 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometres) south east of J10 in Surrey. It will be accessible from both sides of the carriageway, and will be situated on the south-side of the carriageway. works are not expected to start before March 2011.
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/26511.aspx
Welcome Break
Welcome Break is a company which operates thirty-five motorway service stations in the UK. It is the second largest motorway service area operator behind Moto.-History:...
at the junction of the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
and the A1 at Bignell's Corner north of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The siting of the motorway service area has often been criticised, as it is at a heavily congested motorway-motorway intersection.
When constructed in 1986, it was the first service area on the M25. The building was destroyed in August 1998, following a fire started a deep fryer and the lack of a suitable fire suppression system
Fire suppression system
Fire suppression systems are used in conjunction with smoke detectors and fire alarm systems to improve and increase public safety. Suppression systems are governed by the codes under the NFPA 13 handbook.-Types:...
; an incident which has been subsequently studied. A total of four Motorway Service areas planned for the London Orbital motorway; South Mimms services, Thurrock services
Thurrock services
Thurrock services is a motorway service station on the M25 motorway in Thurrock, Essex. It is owned by Moto. The services were opened sometime between 1990 and 1992 .Parts of the service station overlook a lake.-References:...
and Clacket Lane services
Clacket Lane services
Clacket Lane services is a motorway service station on the M25 motorway in Surrey, United Kingdom that is owned by RoadChef. Services are located on either side of the motorway between Westerham, Kent and Limpsfield, Surrey....
were initially built
The fourth has now been approved at Cobham.
The MSA will be accessed between J9 & J10 of the M25, some 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometres) south east of J10 in Surrey. It will be accessible from both sides of the carriageway, and will be situated on the south-side of the carriageway. works are not expected to start before March 2011.
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/26511.aspx
Trivia
Being situated in a rural location on a major hub of the UK's transport network, South Mimms services provides variety of interest and often serves as a meeting point for illegal activities such as gun and drug deals.- In 2004, author Roger Green produced a book called Destination Nowhere, where he attempts to capture everyday life at a Motorway Service Area, finding that far from being dull he is captivated by how unusual the whole experience is.
- South Mimms Services was immortalised in a poem by poet Luke Wright which was performed during Aisle 16's homage to John BetjemanJohn BetjemanSir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
. The poem is entitled "Mimms O'Clock", a pun on the Pimms adverts at the time.
- South Mimms has been a regular 'drop off' point for asylum seekers and illegal immigrants coming to the UK on HGVs for years, as it one of the first stops an HGV driver may make having driven from the Channel Ports.
- A man from East London known as the 'JihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
PlumberPlumberA plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
' was arrested at the service area while attempting to buy weapons such as a rocket launcher in November 2005.
- In 2001 police seized drugs worth 12 million pounds from an HGV which had entered the UK from Spain.
- South Mimms Services is possibly unique in being a service station on a national cycle route, in this case National Cycle NetworkNational Cycle NetworkThe National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
route 12, the section in HertfordshireHertfordshireHertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
from Hadley WoodHadley WoodHadley Wood is a suburb of North London, close to the border with Hertfordshire. It is located in the London Borough of Enfield, about north north-west of Charing Cross and is situated close to Barnet...
to Hatfield, HertfordshireHatfield, HertfordshireHatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
. - There is also a catering trailer on the exit. The only services with one.