Best Service Station?

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Fri May 28, 2021 5:42 pm

Completely off topic but having a debate with a mate and thought I’d see the opinion on here.

What do you reckon is the best UK service station? I said Keele with Warwick a close 2nd.

ClaretAndJew · Post by **ClaretAndJew** » Fri May 28, 2021 5:44 pm

Tebay

lakedistrictclaret · Post by **lakedistrictclaret** » Fri May 28, 2021 5:47 pm

Tebay, without a doubt.

The worst is Hilton Park.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri May 28, 2021 5:48 pm

It's usually a p*** stop for us on away matches but Tebay is a bit different and would get my vote. Last stopped there on the way to Aberdeen.

Volvoclaret · Post by **Volvoclaret** » Fri May 28, 2021 5:54 pm

Tebay by a motorway mile

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:00 pm

Volvoclaret wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 5:54 pm
Tebay by a motorway mile

Never been but just googled it, that does look miles ahead!

NewClaret · Post by **NewClaret** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:02 pm

Gloucester just pips Tebay (owned by the same group I think).

The standard all service stations should be at.

ElectroClaret · Post by **ElectroClaret** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:06 pm

Tebay 100%

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:07 pm

NewClaret wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 6:02 pm
Gloucester just pips Tebay (owned by the same group I think).

The standard all service stations should be at.

Just googled it and it is owned by the same company as Tebay

bobinho · Post by **bobinho** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:07 pm

You're having a laugh...

It's Kitchens on Trafalgar St - no question. Them girls are proper smart in their uniforms... chocolate bargain offers on the till counter, AdBlue at the pumps, brilliant.

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:10 pm

Used to be up and down the M1, A1, M42 & M40 every week and best ones for me were Peterborough, Oxford and Beaconsfied.

Warwick was decent and liked the oddity of the hotel room windows looking into the inside of the service station cafeteria bit at Donnington Park

JohnMac · Post by **JohnMac** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:12 pm

Tebay and Gloucester are good but can draw you into strange purchases. Why I felt the need to travel home with a Leg of Pork from Gloucester is anyone's guess

nil_desperandum · Post by **nil_desperandum** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:13 pm

Another vote for Gloucester.
A bit pricey, but very high quality healthy food.

Bosscat · Post by **Bosscat** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:17 pm

Annandale Water on M74 or is it only the A74

whichever or Moto Stafford North on M6

GodIsADeeJay81 · Post by **GodIsADeeJay81** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:18 pm

M6 toll or Warwick for me.

Aclaret · Post by **Aclaret** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:19 pm

Once stranded on Scratchwood Services on way home from Millwall in the 70s when the car broke down, 2 nights !!......I avoid it at all costs, might be ok now but, it's not getting my vote.

beddie · Post by **beddie** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:19 pm

Same again for Gloucester. The only problem is that you need deep pockets.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:23 pm

Only been open a year or so, Skelton Lake east of Leeds the M1.

The Enclosure · Post by **The Enclosure** » Fri May 28, 2021 6:41 pm

M6 Toll or Warwick services on M40
Ps and yes I forgot Gloucester on M5, that's excellent.

tarkys_ears · Post by **tarkys_ears** » Fri May 28, 2021 7:04 pm

Knutsford

MDWat · Post by **MDWat** » Fri May 28, 2021 7:08 pm

Cobham

Spiral · Post by **Spiral** » Fri May 28, 2021 7:24 pm

This is what happens when forum moderation is left to the gloved hands of Alan Partridge.

jdrobbo · Post by **jdrobbo** » Fri May 28, 2021 7:41 pm

Hilton Park...purely for the sheer joy one moment post- Bristol City away (Christmas 2008) brought to the people in the car.

Burnley1989 · Post by **Burnley1989** » Fri May 28, 2021 7:42 pm

ClaretAndJew wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 5:44 pm
Tebay

As someone who’s probably visited 80% of them in the uk, it’s in the top 3, beautiful setting and farm shop

Steak & ale pie fantastic

Burnley1989 · Post by **Burnley1989** » Fri May 28, 2021 7:43 pm

The Enclosure wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 6:41 pm
M6 Toll or Warwick services on M40
Ps and yes I forgot Gloucester on M5, that's excellent.

Good shouts!

Worst are those on the A1

Some decent adult shops though

Burnley1989 · Post by **Burnley1989** » Fri May 28, 2021 7:44 pm

NewClaret wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 6:02 pm
Gloucester just pips Tebay (owned by the same group I think).

The standard all service stations should be at.

I agree and it’s a disgrace that lorry drivers have to pay those prices

Woodleyclaret · Post by **Woodleyclaret** » Fri May 28, 2021 8:04 pm

Tebay and just off M6 at A5 direction Brownhills 2miles along is the Hollies an all night truck stop open every day except Xmas

timshorts · Post by **timshorts** » Fri May 28, 2021 8:24 pm

Zwijndrecht carrefour. The petrol bit is absolute rubbish (although cheap) but it's a nice supermarket.

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Fri May 28, 2021 8:34 pm

timshorts wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 8:24 pm
Zwijndrecht carrefour. The petrol bit is absolute rubbish (although cheap) but it's a nice supermarket.

Is that the one just before you go under the river into Antwerp?

dougcollins · Post by **dougcollins** » Fri May 28, 2021 9:20 pm

What's that one on the M5 with a fan club - Strensham?

Billy Balfour · Post by **Billy Balfour** » Fri May 28, 2021 9:23 pm

Another vote here for Gloucester. I regularly travel down to Plymouth and I aways try to call off.

claptrappers_union · Post by **claptrappers_union** » Fri May 28, 2021 10:12 pm

When did this messageboard turn into Mid Morning Matters?

GodIsADeeJay81 · Post by **GodIsADeeJay81** » Fri May 28, 2021 10:15 pm

Burnley1989 wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 7:43 pm
Good shouts!

Worst are those on the A1

Some decent adult shops though

I think I saw those on the way up to our game at Newcastle the other year.
I wasn't quite sure I'd seen it right until the return journey and saw them again

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Fri May 28, 2021 10:18 pm

OK Diner and a jizz mag - no better way to break up that long journey up the A1

Longsidelenny1882 · Post by **Longsidelenny1882** » Fri May 28, 2021 10:28 pm

The butty van padiham byepass utc

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Fri May 28, 2021 10:37 pm

Donington....The Harvester is / was Excellent value.in 2019 was shut during this covid situation.

Cheshireclaret · Post by **Cheshireclaret** » Sat May 29, 2021 12:23 am

Another vote for Gloucester. Historically though, as a 44 year old man Corley was awesome - it had a play park, fast food and everything!

Stalbansclaret · Post by **Stalbansclaret** » Sat May 29, 2021 6:55 am

Stafford North is known as "the beautiful lake" in my house

.....decent Costa,where they used to have the newspapers to read, and a Greggs

timshorts · Post by **timshorts** » Sat May 29, 2021 7:13 am

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 8:34 pm
Is that the one just before you go under the river into Antwerp?

Yes, that's the one. There's often a massive queue of traffic. Going in to fill up is like a pitstop under a yellow flag those days.

Inchy · Post by **Inchy** » Sat May 29, 2021 7:13 am

I was going to say the one up the M6 near the lakes but now I know it’s called Tebay

In terms of more traditional services, wetherby is quite good

joey13 · Post by **joey13** » Sat May 29, 2021 8:54 am

Pump 3 is my favourite (for Partridge fans)

Swizzlestick · Post by **Swizzlestick** » Sat May 29, 2021 9:16 am

Norton Canes, without a doubt.

VIP experience with it being on the toll.

CaptJohn · Post by **CaptJohn** » Sat May 29, 2021 9:26 am

Tebay for me. Always stop there for breakfast en-route to St Andrews.

Stalbansclaret · Post by **Stalbansclaret** » Sat May 29, 2021 11:55 am

CaptJohn wrote: ↑
Sat May 29, 2021 9:26 am
Tebay for me. Always stop there for breakfast en-route to St Andrews.

That's a hell of a diversion en route to Birmingham.

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Sat May 29, 2021 11:58 am

Stalbansclaret wrote: ↑
Sat May 29, 2021 11:55 am
That's a hell of a diversion en route to Birmingham.

Not if you live in Dumfries it isnt

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Sat May 29, 2021 12:25 pm

Tebay, Westmorland is on its iconic own.

Loyalclaret · Post by **Loyalclaret** » Sat May 29, 2021 1:18 pm

Gloucester
Decent food, usually stop there on way to Glastonbury or SW. Sit out the back overlooking the pond

LS7 · Post by **LS7** » Sat May 29, 2021 1:27 pm

Surprised the new one in Leeds hasn’t had even a mention, Skelton Lake on the A1/M1 link east of the City. Not sure it is fully open yet though.

LS7 · Post by **LS7** » Sat May 29, 2021 1:28 pm

Birch must be in the running for the worst.

AfloatinClaret · Post by **AfloatinClaret** » Sat May 29, 2021 2:03 pm

lakedistrictclaret wrote: ↑
Fri May 28, 2021 5:47 pm
Tebay, without a doubt.

The worst is Hilton Park.

Not only do I agree with you - and there are few if any of the motorway services in the UK that I've not used - but if the same question had been asked 20, 30 or even 40 years ago, I'd probably still have given the same answers; admittedly Tebay always used to be a bit expensive, even by motorway standards for fuel so it might on occasion have been marked down, but Hilton Park's always been the absolute pits!
Does anyone remember Hilton park when it was newly opened and was it tired and filthy even then? My nadir (many years ago admittedly) at HP was ordering a steak pasty with veggies, which on being served I discovered that the pasty was not only mouldy, but an apple one too (not good once covered with gravy) when I returned it for a replacement, I was instead offered nothing beyond a 50 pence discount/refund; I've never risked anything beyond a refuel and coffee in there since.