Survey photographs and historic satellite imagery have revealed the stages of dereliction suffered by a former filling station in the Welsh countryside, yet plans to reinstate the forecourt could breathe new life into the site.
The Crossing Service Station, as it used to be known, sits on the A4061 by the outskirts of the former mining village of Ogmore Vale, eight miles north of Bridgend. The forecourt canopy, grounds and shop building have been deteriorating steadily for decades.
Imagery from Google reveals that while clearly disused, the forecourt pumps, since removed, were in situ in 2012, while historic satellite photography shows several vehicles parked around the site in 2003, indicating it was trading in one form or another. The complete lack of vehicles seen in a 2005 image implies all business operations had ceased just two years later.
An ecological survey of the site conducted in April of this year by Spectrum Ecology (whom we thank for use of their images) to check for signs of roosting bats found no such creatures, but the survey noted several areas of the 25m by 15m shop building showed “evidence of structural failure”, with the site deemed to present a safety hazard.
The building is in a “significantly deteriorated state due to prolonged water ingress”, with signs of “damp and decay throughout”, the report reads. Warped timbers, peeling paintwork and “extensive damage to internal ceilings” were observed, while several sections of corrugated material are missing from the forecourt’s canopy roof.
This demise could be stemmed, however, following the submission of a planning application by Portsmouth-based AGNI Properties to Bridgend County Borough Council to bring the site back to life by constructing a new filling station on the land.
Planning details are relatively broad at present, but the forecourt would be served by two pump islands, while the site’s shop would be recommissioned and extended, featuring a bakery as well as a retail area.
Given the planning application was only submitted at the beginning of June 2025, however, it could be some time before we learn the fate of the site.
