About Millwood Budgens

For 60 years, Millwood has been part of everyday life in Cam and the wider Dursley area.Many local people simply know us as “the Shell garage in Cam”, but there is considerably more to the Millwood story than fuel pumps and a convenience store.

What began on a green field site in 1966 has grown into a busy, independently owned local forecourt and neighbourhood store serving residents, commuters, tradespeople and visitors travelling through this part of Gloucestershire.

Today, Millwood remains a busy Shell forecourt and local convenience destination, while work is underway on the next stage of its development: the transformation of the store into Millwood Budgens.

Serving Cam Since 1966

Millwood first opened on 25 April 1966, when the site was surrounded almost entirely by fields.

Built by a local family, the business continued under their ownership until the end of 1999. Over the years, the site expanded to include car showrooms and workshop facilities, becoming a familiar part of the local landscape.

As fuel retailing changed, Millwood changed with it. In November 2008, the site closed for a major £1.25 million redevelopment. The existing facilities were demolished and replaced by a completely new development, including a 2,000 sq ft SPAR convenience store and a significantly enlarged 32-nozzle petrol forecourt.

The new site opened in February 2009 and was officially opened by local MP David Drew. Throughout the decades and the many changes to the business, one important relationship has remained constant: Shell has continued to be Millwood’s fuel partner, serving generations of local motorists.

A New Chapter for Millwood

In 2026, exactly 60 years after Millwood first opened, another significant change is underway. Following many years with SPAR, the convenience store is being extensively refurbished ahead of its reopening as Millwood Budgens.

The ambition goes well beyond changing the name above the door. Millwood wants to create a better local shop, combining everyday convenience with more choice, good food, trusted national brands and a stronger connection with producers and businesses from Gloucestershire and the surrounding Cotswolds.

Local and regional suppliers are an important part of that vision, including Woodland Valley Free Range Eggs, Frocester Farm Fayre and Winstones Ice Cream. The off licence will also combine familiar favourites with more distinctive choices, including Hawkstone Lager from the Cotswolds.

More Than a Petrol Station

For some customers, Millwood is still where they stop for Shell fuel on the way to work or home. For others, it is somewhere to pick up groceries, grab a Costa coffee or hot food, use the car wash, buy a bottle of wine or simply collect something they have forgotten.

That mix of convenience is increasingly important, but so is maintaining the character of an independent local business.

Around the site, the wider Millwood story also includes specialist automotive businesses such as Millwood Cotswold Caterham and RS Autotechnik, each with their own expertise, customers and history. Over time, the aim is to bring more of those stories together and make Millwood a stronger destination in its own right.

Proudly Local, Still Evolving

The area surrounding Millwood looks very different from the fields that were here in 1966, and it will continue to change. Millwood will continue to change too.

That means listening to customers, supporting good local suppliers, improving the store and its facilities, and making sure the business remains relevant to people living in Cam, Dursley and the surrounding communities.

The buildings, brands and services may evolve, but the intention remains much the same as it has for the past 60 years:
“to keep Millwood useful, welcoming and firmly connected to the community it serves.”