Cardiff West services
(Gwasanaethau Gorllewin Caerdydd)
M4 at J33
(also accessible to traffic on the A4232)
Signposted from the road? As Greggs/Burger King/Costa
CF72 8SA
map and directions
Single site located at a junction.
Even as far as motorway services go, Welsh services seem to be much of a muchness. It is sadly very difficult to write something about Cardiff West.
Facilities
COVID-19 update: These details were updated on 17 February 2021, with changes caused by COVID-19.
Catering: Burger King, Greggs, Costa Express, Krispy Kreme
Shops: WHSmith
Main Amenities: Showers
Hotel: Travelodgebook
Charging Points: Ecotricity
Forecourt: BP, Spar, Subway, Costa Express, Skwishee Iced Drinks, West Cornwall Pasty Co, AdBlue4You, Free Cash Machine
Parking Prices
First 2 hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £15 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £23. HGVs can pay £25 to include a £10 food voucher.
Prices are paid using PayByPhone - more details. The location code is 2431.
The fees are strictly enforced by CP Plus.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Moto Services
Cardiff West Motorway Services Area
M4
Pontyclun
Mid Glamorgan
CF72 8SA
- 📞 Telephone number: 029 2089 1141
- 🗺 Grid reference: ST093796
- 📌 what3words: ///trying.butter.retail
🌍 Operators (Official Websites):
Trivia and History
A recent upgrade to the westbound side of the junction saw two dedicated lanes provided for the services - this is more than any other service area, despite Cardiff West being one of the quieter ones. Unfortunately, the exit from the roundabout only has one lane, making the additional one pointless and slightly dangerous.
At the entrance is an unusual sign with symbols on it, like at Severn View.
Planning
See also: M4 Planning Applications
Welsh motorways aren't covered by England's Department for Transport, which means the planning system for services was virtually a free-for-all. The effect of this appears to have been that competition around the Swansea area was much more intense, while closer to Cardiff there was much less interest.
It's more likely that the local authorities here were more hostile to proposed services. In 1981 there were plans to build a service area in the south-east quadrant of the junction here, but this was dropped and the northern option, first proposed by A. Monk & Co. Dev. (SW) Ltd, soon prevailed.
Cardiff West was eventually built by Rank, as one of their last projects, and its building is very simple by their standards. It opened in April 1990, following a £25.9m investment. It was one of their first developments since the 1980s.
Design
The site opened with an integrated Top Rank Motor Lodge, so its reception area was combined with the main entrance.
The amenity building is built on a slight slope, with a car park at each end. Disabled access is provided through a dedicated doorway and totally separate parking area.
Greggs opened here on 7 March 2013. At the time of opening, this Greggs outlet was unusual compared to others as it is accessed from within the main restaurant area. Even so, it sells takeaway food and for tax reasons that food can't be consumed in the restaurant area.
The former restaurant servery has been partitioned off, with catering now provided by Greggs and Costa.
Forecourt
The service area was built as a partnership between Top Rank and Esso, so the two buildings have always been operated separately.
The forecourt was sold by Esso to Rontec, who changed its branding to BP.
Old Survey Results
In 2006, Cardiff West was rated as 3 out of 5 by Holiday Which? and they received a four star loo award.
The services were inspected by The AA on 24 and 25 March 2007. These are their results:
Category: | Rating: |
Road safety and parking: | Good |
Outdoor facilities: | Acceptable |
Access and indoor facilities: | Acceptable |
Catering: | Poor |
Shop: | Very Good |
Family Friendliness: | Good |
Service: | Good |
Hygiene: | Very Poor |
Pricing: | Very Poor |
Final Score: | Acceptable |
The services were said to be well signed and have good facilities, but they were let down by the prices and variety of food on offer. The baby changing room was described as "a potential health hazard".
Cardiff West was also inspected by The AA on 4 and 5 April 2004. These are their results:
Category: | Rating: |
Road safety and parking: | Acceptable |
Outdoor facilities: | Acceptable |
Access and indoor facilities: | Very Poor |
Catering: | Poor |
Shop: | Very Good |
Service: | Very Good |
Communications: | Very Poor |
Hygiene: | Very Good |
Pricing: | Very Poor |
Final Score: | Acceptable |
In this report, the services were noted for their indoor facilities and cleanliness, but the variety and quality of food was said to be a real let-down.
In 1991, a Which? survey rated the services as "average".
Alternatives
Previous: | Next: | |
Cardiff Gate (8 miles) | Services on the M4 | Sarn Park (12 miles) |
Leigh Delamere (54 miles) Severn View (M48, 33 miles) | Moto services | Swansea (35 miles) |
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