please empty your brain below

It's actually quite straightforward to turn round from an initial northbound drive up the M1 to a southbound one at London Gateway without using the access road. Takes away the need to go up to Watford if you find yourself on the motorway by mistake.
Adding to my must visit list!
London's M4 Heston services also has a non-motorway access road.
Of course Scratchwood has a 'back door' - local people need to get to/from their jobs there without the need to drive to the nearest M1 junction to access it from the Motorway.
As I understand it these motorway services (& Heston) have lost a large part of their raison d'ĂȘtre since the opening of the M25. Previously there would have been more long distance traffic going on to, for example, the North Circular road and destinations beyond London. With the opening of the orbital motorway, anybody passing these services is less likely to be going very much further.
13
Item 4 in Six Scratchwood Facts:4) Scratchwood had the country's first AA kiosk.
I found this on the AA website:
http://www.theaa.com/newsroom/news-2012/aa-telephone-box-centenary.html
This suggests that the first AA box was in Kent.
Carbon monoxide is doubtless (odorless for your American readers). It nearly killed me two years ago. Get yourselves a carbon monoxide alarm!
As I recall, from when the southern end of the M1 opened, the junctions were restricted to deter local commuters from using it.
I think all motorway service stations (except those accessed direct from an access-point roundabout, like Bishops Stortford) have a separate access road for staff. (If not they would be discriminating unnecessarily against non-driving workforce). I have never noticed signs specifically authorising pedestrians, though.
I don't know if you had some way of knowing that the cars on the access road did not belong to staff. Enforcement of the "do not use this as a motorway access road" rule may fluctuate, but it certainly does happen, at least sometimes. You get fined if your registration number is not on a staff list.
indeed, you can get to the M4 westbound at Heston Services by driving down Phoenix Road. there don't seem to be any barriers in place at all... It's all on Google Streetview if you fancy having a look.
BRING BACK THE KITTENS!!!!!
I understand the service station has a London NW7 postcode and once found myself unable to explain how to get there to some poor person given employment suggestions from the local Jobcentre. I was on a 113 bus but didn't have a clue!
I believe taxi drivers have been fined for using Scratchwood's back door.
@Nick Flowers

AA telephone boxes were around for decades before there were any motorways, but DG was talking about the kiosks which lurk at motorway services areas to recruit new members.

@roehamster
"Carbon monoxide is doubtless"
is that predictive text-speak for "odourless"
For anyone who has used the word "fine" above, no, you do not get "fined" unless the local council (or DfT, not entirely sure who is responsible) takes you to a criminal court and you lose. They can send you a penalty charge, which is not a fine.
"no vehicles except for authorised vehicles"
Actually the sign is "no motor vehicles", so you are allowed to cycle to the motorway service area!
But it is anyway a meaningless sign unless it states who has the authority to authorise you, so to speak. Especially so if this is a public highway, which it appears to be at least for pedestrians.
One could argue that no vehicle is authorised on any public road unless it is taxed and insured.
@ JQ

Surely it's an invoice, not a penalty?

Many cowboy parking companies try to mimic official Penalty Charge Notices by sending Parking Charge Notices, but I understood that only government bodies and agencies can issue penalties.
Meant to link to the "evel kneivel" no motor vehicles sign
[link]
It's a penalty charge if you have disobeyed a traffic sign on (or leading off) a public highway. It's an invoice if you are private land
I am intrigued by the "beware children" sign on the left a few yards beyond the "no motor vehicles" (There is a more logical "beware pedestrians in the road" sign on the right hand side. Why would children be anywhere around there. They would certainly not be encouraged to visit a scrapyard - maybe they are all sneaking in to the service area for a burger and chips?
Looking at StreetView, there are signs/bollards at Heston services (westbound) - though it didn't seem to stop the StreetView car! [Google maps]

It seems that the eastbound services can similarly be accessed from North Hyde Lane.

To add another - both sides of Clackett Lane services on the M25 can be accessed from Clackett Lane itself (a small, single track road).

My resulting quest to find services which didn't have non-motorway access found that the entire M4 did, into Wales (where I got bored and stoped), the M3 at Fleet does, the M27 at Rownhams does also.

But the M3 Winchester services didn't seem to - so presumably it's not a requirement.
@A
M3 Winchester services: the northbound part would appear to have a link to Main Road (see http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/51.12101/-1.25261) but the southbound seems to be isolated unless one can use Chillandham Lane.
Indeed, but if you look on Google Maps Satellite view/StreetView, it's only a dirt track, with a locked gate each end.

Road end (Note the Fire(??) sign - intriguing).
Services end

Maybe that does count as access (perhaps for emergencies - but you wouldn't get a fire engine through the gate at the services end) - but it wouldn't explain the lack of access on the southbound side.

DG has opened a whole can of worms here!
I've just found a list of every service station with a secret entrance/exit: http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/Rear_Access

Apparently, they're now discouraged for new builds - so, it's not a requirement.

dg writes: Thanks, that's fascinating.
Blimey, DG I know this service road well. There were loads of us bikers in Colindale in the 70's and late at night there was nothing to do. So we used to head to Scratchwood Services for a cup of coffee and a bacon roll. The barrier was always down but we used to simply ride down the side of it. Great memories...
...and you can get into Watford Gap from the canal.
Gosh DG, you were so close to me - I live just down the A1/A41 from Apex Corner in Mill Hill. You'd have been welcome to pop in for a mug of tea :-) Look forward to hearing more about your suburban wanderings round here.

That Scratchwood access road has always been tempting to me as my commute home often takes me down the M1, and coming off there would avoid the annoying U-turn I am stuck with (or alternatively cutting through by Saracens' stadium). Think I will continue to avoid if the stories about ANPR checks are true.

And by another coincidence, I went to Carlyle's House today, where you visited on your week off. Only realised you'd written about it when I recognised the list of words Carlyle coined! Agree with you that it's a gem, but sadly now closed until the spring for anyone who wants to follow us.
I'd not spotted that the tight corner on the southbound access road is because we're going the wrong way round three quarters of a roundabout - just assumed that some (no doubt very important) building or piece of strategic infrastructure was hidden just behind all the 'slow down NOW' signs meaning that the tight, dangerous corner was the only option (well, that or maybe just particularly shoddy road design).

Given that all that seems to be in the way of the missing link is a rough-looking motorway depot, wonder why it's never been at least finished off to work as a rather safer 'roundabout' exit. Can't see this being especially expensive or disruptive, and probably helpful given the coach / lorry traffic here.
@A
"Apparently, they're now discouraged for new builds - so, it's not a requirement. "
Early service areas were built with no local access to prevent loss of trade for local businesses. Nowadays it seems it is preferred to put services near junctions, which avoids the need for duplication of facilities and also reduces the number of slip roads - all of which are potential conflict points.
Always prefer the name London Gateway as when coming in from The North it does exactly what it says on the tin.

My dad once made a wrong turn when doing a loop round an access road at Woodall Services around J31 of the M1 and we almost ended up in a farmers field!

The best services in the UK is at Tebay on the M6 in Cumbria. There is a farm shop and butchers and the restaurant sells food that is all freshly made on site and it very reasonably priced. The same owners have recently opened one on the M5 north of Bristol.
Is the choice of Scratchwood as a topic in any way connected with the kitten tube map?

A nation demands to know!
I once rode my push bike into Frankley Services using the back access. Got several puzzled looks from drivers!
Back in my cycling days, we would end up at Motorway service stations relatively frequently through the back entrances, when in areas where there was a lack of alternatives for a halfway toilet break/cup of tea, and always got lots and lots of very curious looks from the motorists, especially the day when there were more than 60 of us on (push) bikes!
@timbo - belated question:

Bearing in mind the famously high food prices at service stations, is it possible that some service areas were built with no local access to prevent loss of trade TO local businesses - ie motorists nipping off the motorway for a meal and then back again to continue their journey?
^ Good point...hence sometimes use to see "local services" marked at junctions as a alternative.










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