Scotch Corner
We were hoping to use Scotch Corner Services on the A1 as a short break in our journey up to Northumberland. Having just read some recent reviews online it appears that caravans are no longer welcome or allowed. Is anybody aware of this?
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I would ring the services direct to check, better services are at Wetherby but that's 40 odd miles south. There are designated well designed caravan parking bays where you drive in and then drive out.
Washington Services takes caravans according to the motorway services info
Sorry couldn't be more help
Post edit: read the reviews on caravans before stopping.
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Scotch Corner is tight with a caravan, always has been. Never our choice if towing. Washington Services are not nice either, but better with a van on the back. I think they are next services after Scotch Corner. I will have a think and see if I can find somewhere better. Assume you want to stay on A1?
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Morrisons supermarket at Boroughbridge is ok and is very close to the motorway slip road. It has a very large car park, rarely busy and is easy to negotiate. It's about 30 miles before Scotch Corner.
Also there is Durham Service on the A1M at junc 61 about 20 miles further on. These are small but caravans use either bus parking or HGV parking.
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The A1 has changed quite a bit North of Dishforth. There were still roadworks on it three weeks ago when we travelled up, but traffic was flowing ok. Slightly before Scotch Corner, and you will need to check out where to come off new A1 and onto old service roads that run parallel, but take a look at Leeming Bar Services. They used to be straight off A1, but as I say it's all new road up there now. We often use the old parallel roads that run alongside A1, more roundabouts, but usually empty of all traffic except the odd tractor. It's actually possible to travel all the way from Scotch Corner to Wetherby on this adjacent roads if you have a good co pilot! Beats being with all the lorries sometimes.
At least you have an option before or after Scotch Corner now, depending how your journey is going.
We head back up to Northumberland and Scotland mid September.0 -
Definitely one to avoid. We pulled in there last autumn for a quick break. There was nowhere to park with the 'van, so we parked in the completely empty coach park and used the toilet in the 'van to save time. Shock/ horror, a security official arrived from seemingly nowhere threatening to clamp the car because we were parked in the wrong area.
We made a rapid exit and will never return.
😱
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We had to use the coach parking at Welcome Break Oxford services a couple of weeks ago because all the caravan spaces were full of goods vehicles,and as we never leave the outfit unattended at any services were just "waiting for a "jobs worth" to appear
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We never stop at Scotch Corner, far too crowded, but was not aware that caravans were not welcome.
Lots of good lay byes if heading over to Penrith,have not carried on north from SC much, but would think there must be some aother stopping places further north?
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There are indeed some great places to stop on A66, Mainsgill Farm not least! If solo or in MH, we often go up to Northumberland over Moors through Barnard Castle, Slayley Etc... but not with van on back.
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Are there any recent updates for the situation at Scotch Corner services and their attitude to caravans please?
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I think caravans are still not welcome, stopped there a couple of times solo recently and no spaces for caravans
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Hi, I can confirm there are caravan/ motorhome parking spaces clearly marked within the parking bay. We stopped in a motorhome a couple of weeks ago and no problems gaining access with caravan or motorhome. Not sure how many spaces there are but there’s definitely 3 at the least.
As yo drive past the services front door on your left turn into the car park and drive almost to the end of the car park and you will see the bays on your left.
if you google earth you will see 4 caravan/motorhome parking bays.
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They need to put up signage then, all i saw a few weeks ago were signs saying where you couldn't park a caravan and threatening fines. And given the road layout into that parking area am sure there is insufficient turning room to get in/out with a long outfit.... looks lime they are paying lip service to comply with their operating licence and/or planning consent....
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Thanks for your replies.
DougA; you are correct in that Google satellite clearly shows three parking spaces marked ‘Caravans Only’. I do think though that these could easily become difficult to use if the place was even half busy. I suspect that flatcoat is correct in that they are paying lip service to their licence/planning agreements.
Also, google street map does show, as Harryb points out, the sign for ‘no caravans’. I suspect this may have changed though since the parking places were created. As anyone been through in the last few weeks?
Why couldn’t they have given the three places up in the coach park - simples?
I may have to ring the services to bottom this out - if anyone there actually knows!!
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Hi all, harryb as my previous reply above said I parked in the caravan bay a couple of weeks ago. There are 4 bays for caravan/motorhomes clearly marked. I was parked on the first one and while there a caravan parked to my left and departed while we were there. Yes the parking for a caravan will be tight but the one that arrived and left before me didn’t seem to have any issues.
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Those bays are at best 10m long, how do you park an 8m t/a caravan and its tow-car which will typically be 4.5m long or more? The isles between the parking bays are probably 6m wide (7 at the most), the turning tracking of a typical caravan outfit is such you cannot get into those bays if the bays either side are occupied. However cutting through all that the signs at the entrance say ‘no caravans’...... if this club had anything about it they would be publicly acknowledging this thread and taking up this issue with the owner/operator on behalf of its members.... i await a pleasant surprise post from those whose wages we pay.....
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We find the signage on the A1 heading north a bit unhelpful to say the least, for long stretches there are signs indicating "rest areas" instead of services. It's difficult to know what is available. So it's worth checking things out before getting to that area. There are several smaller services along this route.
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Yes, there are four bays harryb, I saw only three at first but a closer look on google makes it clear.
I think getting into a centre slot though, with outfits either side would be very difficult.
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DougA
Apologies for my post.
Going off google earth the signage in to the left, as you mention, says 'Cars'. However on magnification the road going down the car park says 'Cvans' on the tarmac and the 4 caravan parking bays says 'Caravans Only'. So quite how, as a caravanner, you get to those bays after passing the other signs is beyond me. This is typical of lots motorway services across the country.
As mentioned the trouble getting into one of those bays does not warrant the hassle involved.
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The A1M from Catterick to Scotch Corner is now fully open so from Wetherby to Gateshead is now all motorway.
Services between Wetherby and Scotch Corner are non existent although the old Leeming Bar services are still available off junc 51
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Just had a short break at Durham Grange and used the A1(M) coming & going. The Standard m-way blue signing exists "Services" with larger signs giving the distance. The signs for Scotch Corner etc is white on black saying, as Brue pointed out, "Rest Area" so without access to the "Motorway Encyclopaedia / Dictionary" I'd ignore them for caravan/motorhome purposes.
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