The iconic service station at the Watford Gap is set to be demolished in order to make more room for electric vehicles (EVs) to park while they charge, under a new plan.
International stars including Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd all stopped off at the so-called ‘gateway to the North’ on their way to gigs in decades past.
It became so popular during the 1960s that it was even described as the “epicentre of cool” and a British cultural landmark.
However, its current owners, Roadchef, have unveiled plans to demolish the iconic motorway station as it falls victim to an environmental low-carbon push.
Mark Fox, Roadchef’s chief executive, said the Watford Gap was “past its sell-by date”.
Mr Fox told the Telegraph: “We’re not proud of it as a physical asset and we want to build a new one on the corner of the site and then level the old one.”
He said that the Gap was “not British architecture at its finest”.
Roadchef, which runs both the northbound and southbound sites, wants to use the land to build up to 150 EV charging points and a double-decker car park.
The development will also feature an airport-style travel hub lounge for drivers to check their emails and make calls while their vehicle is charging.
The Watford Gap, which opened in conjunction with the M1 in November 1959, is one of the oldest and most historic motorway service stations.
Catherine Croft, director of the Twentieth Century Society, which campaigns to protect Britain’s iconic post-1914 buildings, lamented the loss of the Watford Gap.
She said it was a cultural and architectural icon, adding: “Service stations like Watford Gap celebrated the glamour and sense of possibility that travel within the UK offered, and in most cases made innovative use of new materials, both robust concrete on the exteriors and new synthetic fabrics, carpets and curtains in vibrant colours indoors.”
Ms Croft said the history should be commemorated on the site with an exhibition in the replacement building.
In the 1960s, travelling bands often stopped at Watford Gap to sit down and eat a meal while travelling back from gigs in the early hours of the morning.
Jimi Hendrix reportedly heard so much about the services that he thought it was a London nightclub – until he visited.
Other stars such as Sir Cliff Richard The Eagles and Dusty Springfield also all visited.
Roadchef is currently negotiating a new lease with the Department for Transport (DfT) before starting any redevelopment.
A spokesperson for the department said discussions were ongoing and stressed the importance of expanding charging services.
