Oxford Services, M40 Junction 8A

Oxford services is the M40’s middle stop, after the Chilterns and before the long run north. Where is it, and how do you get in?

Where it is

The services are at Junction 8A of the M40, at Waterstock near Wheatley in Oxfordshire, several miles east of the city of Oxford. Junction 8A connects with the A418, signed for Thame, Aylesbury and Oxford. Because it is reached from a junction, it serves both directions of the motorway.

Junction 8A is close to Junction 8, where the A40 leaves for Oxford and Cheltenham and the M40 turns north. Follow the signs for the services rather than for Oxford.

Who runs it

Oxford services is operated by Welcome Break. It opened in the summer of 1998, the third of the M40’s four service areas to open.

What is there

• A Ramada hotel on the site.

The site was built with one of the UK’s early fully integrated sustainable drainage schemes, which manages rainwater on site.

Traffic around Junction 8A

This is the quietest part of the M40. The Department for Transport counted 92,005 vehicles a day between Junctions 7 and 8 in 2025, and 70,986 on the stretch between Junctions 8 and 9. Around Junction 8 it separately counts 66,274 a day on the spur towards the A418.

Split by direction, the stretch from Junction 7 to 8 is almost perfectly balanced: 46,261 vehicles a day heading north and 45,744 heading south. This part of the motorway, from Stokenchurch to Great Milton at Junction 8, was completed in 1974.

The next stop

Heading north, the next services is Cherwell Valley at Junction 10. Heading south, it is Beaconsfield at Junction 2.

For the stretch around the services, see M40 Junctions 7 to 9. For all four, see M40 services.

Traffic count figures on this page are from the Department for Transport road traffic statistics, 2025.