Motorway services are often seen as a necessary but uninspiring pit stop. For long journeys—such as holiday trips to visit family—they provide a crucial break for food, rest, and fuel. Yet few truly enjoy their experience at these roadside havens.
David Burnip, host of the Wandering Turnip YouTube channel, recently embarked on a road trip exploring some of the UK’s most well-known motorway services. His southern journey brought him to Bridgwater Services on the M5 in Somerset, a stop that left a haunting impression—so much so that he described it as feeling like a scene from a “zombie movie.”
Bridgwater Services offers the standard fare: a Burger King, a Costa coffee shop, and a few other food outlets. However, it has gained a reputation for being one of the worst in the country. On TripAdvisor, it holds a lowly 2.5-star rating from nearly 350 reviews—with more than a third of those reviewers rating it just one star.
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David was initially relieved to see one of the Costa outlets shuttered, having encountered too many on his travels. However, his relief was short-lived when he discovered another Costa still open inside. The pairing of Burger King and Costa seemed to him emblematic of a disappointing culinary landscape. “Is that what Britain’s taste has been reduced to? Fatty burgers and bad coffee,” he lamented.
Even the West Cornwall Pasty Company, which once had a presence just outside the plaza, has closed down, leaving fewer food options available.
While the site is reportedly bustling during the summer months, David found Bridgwater deserted during his visit. “This place is a bit of a ghost town,” he observed. The enormous car park was entirely empty, amplifying the eerie atmosphere. “I felt like I was in a zombie movie,” he said.
The service station itself is surprisingly small considering the size of its parking area. “I can’t imagine people spend too long here at all,” David remarked. The interior offered minimal attraction and seemed under-staffed, contributing to an overall feeling of neglect.
Adding to the desolate vibe is a vast, blank advertising hoarding that has been left unused, symbolizing the station’s stalled potential.
When asked to rate Bridgwater Services, David didn’t hold back. “What am I rating this one out of 10? Probably a two,” he said bluntly. For him, this infamous station lives up to its poor reputation—an almost empty shell of what a motorway service should be.