To ask your favourite UK Motorway Service Station?

[Livelounge]

Totally nerdy I know but I was on the M4 yesterday and stopped at Chievely and remembered the whole Gavin and Stacey debate about which one was best. That or Leigh Delaware.

I think they were all wrong and Membury is best.

But my favourite of all is Strensham on the M5 heading towards Worcester, only the North bound one though!

I live near the Gloucester services and it's handy to call in and buy food on a Sunday - but have also taken small children to the play area and adults for coffee.

Strensham used to be good when it had the strawberry hut in the summer, but we tend to use Frankley more - it's got a Greggs for a sausage roll on the way out and an M&S on the other side for buying bread and milk on the way home!

The side of Stafford services with the lake is lovely, there is a play park for children on both sides but the lakeside one is better. DD used to love than when she was smaller.

@Pancake - I agree with you, Fleet is not the best but it is my favourite. Many trips with my daughter over the past couple of years to hospital and Fleet was a middle point of the journey so we'd stop there in both directions. She loves it!

A frequent traveller of London to Wales and back. Leigh Delmare for M&S on the way, Membury for subway on the way home. It's the same every time and normally when we swap driving as it's about half way

Another one for Gloucester here. I've detoured past it on my lunch break just to eat there!

Gloucester is/are my faves. Fabulous pies plus everything else. Second fave Keele as they have KFC and Burger King

Bridgwater on the M5 is terrible. Awful indoor car park, everything looks grubby, very little choice.

M6 Corley!!!

@GrumpyOldBagFace DP's family live in Gloucester and get almost all their food shopping from the services!

"@Pancake - I agree with you, Fleet is not the best but it is my favourite."
The car park is such a happy place, every other car loaded up with camping or fishing gear and big gangs of friends/family. I might be imagining it but more people seem excitef to be going to/coming from somewhere NICE/exciting than at other stops

Nowt wrong with Tibshelf . Functional and does the job!

No one has mentioned Tamworth on the M42 - it's one I like because it's very tidy; everything in its place, well-maintained and sensibly laid out. It's my preferred stop on that route.

Strensham is my favourite for people-watching - it always seems to have lots of coach parties stopping there; I've also seen bikers, film crews etc.

Pease Pottage is utterly shit.

If I hadn't been to Tebay why would I vote for it?? Lots of people will have been - it's a perfect stop off on the way to Scotland. We call in regularly visiting my stepson who is at university up there.

Last week I had to travel from Limerick to Dublin on a coach and we stopped at a small services inbetween and I was impressed with them. Proper loo roll instead of the thin, thin stuff in English services and really clean. Can't remember it's name though.

Applegreen over here do a lovely breakfast (NI) and down south too I think.
Wetherby in England, DH likes the Pasty van outside I like the doughnuts and the Costa in the quiet part a pp mentioned, they also gave me a free coffee once when I had a migraine and was really miserable with dd1 being spectacularly indecisive

M25 Cobham

Oh, to be stopping
Now it’s open there,
And whoever parks there shopping
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest prices of burgers (beef)
Eaten by fountains after bathroom relief,
While the chaffinch sings on the new trees bough
In Cobham M’way Service Station --- now!!

with apologies to Robert Browning

(Written in Sept 2012)

I accidentally queue jumped Robson Green in the takeaway part of Tebay once (Northbound).

Like the majority here I came on to say Tebay. We were there a week ago had lovely soup and a roll and fruit cake. Also loved the farm shop and the views.

However, have to admit to a liking for Beaconsfield. The building itself is like the seventh circle of hell when busy but there is a lake at the back with picnic tables and surprisingly few people can be arsed to walk that far. We usually go buy something nice for a picnic from the M and S then leave the crowds and eat it by the lake.

Well it is Tebay obviously. I have family in Scotland and my colleague drives that way to get to the ferry to Belfast. We have had many boring conversations about stopping at Tebay.

Tebay is frightfully naice and makes me snigger at its joules-ness. I prefer Stafford, its clean and non artisan and now it has a noodle bar. Lancaster is dire.

Another one for Tebay!

Tebay is lovely and the shop is worth a visit too.

@abundanceofhelens pure opulence

Chester services because I work there!
It doesn't smell of drains, it's the area (countryside)

#roadchef

Tejay, no contest. We used to live nearby and would go there for lunch, for a treat.

Another Tebay Westmorland fan here!

Tsk. Tebay!

Cobham or Beaconsfield