Motorway Services and places for comfort stops

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  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,677 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #32

    Sorry that I am repeating this, but it could be that some haven't seen it.......

    Around 12 months ago, at the Caravan and Motorhome Club Council, I brought up the subject of the difficulty in parking at motorway service areas with a caravan in tow, and highlighted that this was a safety issue if tired drivers were unable to find a place to pull up safely to rest. Driver fatigue at the very least is a contributory factor in motorway accidents. Some of our motorway service areas are not good at providing suitable spaces for caravans and others are not good at monitoring these areas to make sure that such spaces are not used by other vehicles. The Club Council referred the subject to the Technical Committee.

    As Rowena reported a while back, the Club has now raised these concerns at National Towing Working Group meetings, and in response, there’s now an opportunity to give your views on how you use Service Areas, and what your experience has been. I would like to encourage as many caravanners as possible to fill in the survey by following the link below.

    https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=152145866477

    This survey will give the opportunity to get your views directly into the regular discussions held between Highways England and the Service Area operators. Please note, you can give feedback on your experiences throughout the UK, not just with Service Areas in England, though.

    Please share this information with your caravanning friends so that we can get as many responses as possible.

    David

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited May 2018 #33

    Sedgemoor Services M5 both North and South are very poor!  Only use them if you have no alternative. Southbound is the worse of the two but North not much better.

    TF

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #34

    Yes, it's not a fine dining experience at Sedgemoor, but at least there is space on the northbound side  - there is a big overflow parking area at the farthest end, beyond the hotel - and although rather roughly serviced you can get in and out of it with a caravan at all but the busiest Bank Holiday weekends. 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #35

    Ideal for those with dogs as well as it's often possible to park parallel to the wide grass area at the far end. 

  • Graymee
    Graymee Forum Participant Posts: 84
    edited May 2018 #36

    I was surprised to read about someone praising Birchhanger. I don't mind parking in the HGV area and the parking there was good but the multiple lanes merging before the traffic lights on the roundabout make it a nightmare to get out of.

    I haven't stopped with the caravan but Gloucester services on the northbound M5 seem to have some fantastic facilities for caravans and the food is really good probably because it an independant not some huge corporation.

  • ScreenNameF23FE97251
    ScreenNameF23FE97251 Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited December 2018 #37

    Hi, im looking to hopefully overnight at Cartgate if possible to stay. On route to Globe Vale caravan park,Redruth for a long week. Starting out this afternoon with touring caravan. Merry Christmas.mal 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2018 #38

    Hope you have a plan B, HM. 

    Enjoy Cornwall.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2018 #39

    It does seem to be used by overnighting lorries and has had a bad reputation in the past, I would imagine it's not quiet overnight either. There's no fuel as it's just a rest area. But it's a slightly better alternative than laybys. The café is popular, open 6am till 10pm.

    The nearest overnight caravan sites are Southfork near Martock or West Down Orchard near South Petherton (the cheapest one.)

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2018 #40

    Wat on earth is the point of a rest area where you can't get your head down for a rest? Not that I would imagine it is particularly restful as it is too close to the passing traffic. Not too bad if you are on the north side of the cafe I suppose.

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