Wetherby Services A1(M)
Posted on a caravanning Facebook page just now:
"A warning to any caravanners wishing to stop at Wetherby Services on the A1(M):
There isn’t sufficient caravan parking to cope with how many caravanners are stopping there. Instead of letting caravans use the largely unused coach bays, they’re taking down registration numbers and making you drive out of the service area and keep looping around the roundabout until there’s a caravan bay available and it’s your turn in the queue. It’s causing absolute carnage and huge traffic backlogs and once you get in, you’ll struggle to get back out in a hurry.
If you pull into the lorry park, you quickly get moved on despite there being ample space. On Thursday we were moved on from a coach bay, despite only two coaches occupying the 20+ coach bays, yet today they were allowing some caravans in to the coach bays, except for us, because we’d not been around the roundabout yet.
It’s chaos, car park staff are rude and confrontational. It’s been said that they’re going to be patrolling the car park for the whole school holidays.
My advice is to avoid stopping there and carrying on towards Scotch Corner if you’re heading north (there’s more than one service area that way) or carry on to Woolley Edge just south of Leeds if you’re heading south. It doesn’t really affect you if you just want fuel. Just wanted to forewarn people so that they can plan their journeys to stop somewhere else. There’s nothing worse than being desperate for a break from driving and not being able to stop."
Comments
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Caravans aren’t welcome at Scotch Corner Jill. Anyone desperate for a stop, get the road map out and take a look at the road that runs adjacent to the A1, N & S. If travelling North, Leeming Bar Services are ok, but you cannot access them directly off the A1. I can’t remember if these old roads, (which used to be the A1) have lay-bys, but they are a lot quieter. We use them a lot as we get around a lot quicker than on the actual A1 at times, and you can get off for a break easier.
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This is posted on CAMC facebook page and this was my reply to my experience of these services. "I've used these services going both North and South, the last time was 3 weeks ago/. Never have I come across this situation. Yes, caravan bays have been full but there has always been a parking attendant there and he has sensibly diverted caravans coming into to the HGV park ahead on the left. There were several caravans parked there the other week without problem. The HGV area looked to me as though it had been extended since the last time I was there. So why not use it. If you are worried then drive north and come off at Boroughbridge and go to Morrisons supermarket on the way into town. about a mile from the roundabout. There is plenty of space. Do not head for Scotch Corner services parking for caravans is tight and very limited." The HGV area has been extended and it is to this area that caravans had been directed. There are 90+ spaces for HGV's. 14 for coaches and 11 for caravans. Says a lot about where we stand in the pecking order.
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The last couple of times we have stopped at Wetherby services in the motorhome we have been directed into the adjacent lorry park which had plenty of room. I got the impression that they were trying to keep the caravan bays for caravans as it is perhaps easy for a motorhome to weave around the various access points. I thought it perfectly sensible. They may have even done us a favour as it was a coffee stop and there was a small coffee shop next to the lorry parking so no need to walk to the main services. We may have stopped at the weekend when there would have been less demand for the lorry spaces from the wagons themselves?
David
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David
The coffee shop must be new. I know that side of the HGV area has been extended.
Also if using the caravan bays you can now access the main hall from the bottom end doors which are through the outside seating area. This hasn't been the case in the past.
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Totally agree with Jill. We live about 35 miles from Wetherby and returning home recently (with caravan) was desperate to 'pay a visit'! Pulled off A1 into Wetherby Services and the car park attendants were officious to say the least...and yes the few caravan bays were full. I have no trouble in reversing into lorry bays etc but wasn't allowed! Suggest you avoid if possible.
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We've been happy with Wetherby, they run a "tight ship" and move people on to the right areas so at least you won't find a lorry in the caravan area. We've also noticed they sweep and pick up litter, we actually saw someone drop all their fast food containers out of a car window and speed off. The car park men moved swiftly to clean up. It's unfortunate if vans have to queue at peak times (perhaps best avoided?) But as a very busy service area we think it's well run. They are also dealing with people who don't read the signs and then react badly to requests to move on. So there are two sides to this services story.
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Harry
I think it might be one of those drive through ones - not much use with a caravan or a motorhome but they also have a service counter inside, probably a Costa or Starbucks so no inconvenience to us.
On a wider point we probably wouldn't be having this conversation if we had much better service station provision, particularly those that an accommodate caravans and motorhomes. Try stopping between MK and Lowestoft if you don't know the road. Probably OK for laybys but services!
David
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Even lay-bys are reducing in number. I am puzzled by the number of lay-bys that have been closed off for no apparent purpose during my travels over the past few months.
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the std UK 'layby' is a pretty hideous place to stop....totally exposed to passing traffic, usually a couple of feet from thundering trucks....often full with other trucks, regularly with bins overflowing rubbish....what's the point of them if no one ever empties them?
'rest areas' they ain't
if we, as a country, were serious about improving our road network (we aren't) and it's ease of use, we would be making these places far more attractive, safer, cleaner, roomier...
many laybys are close to fields and could easily be enlarged and improved, albeit at a small cost....
like many things, it's costs similar money to do something badly as it does to do it well....
our laybys are generally dreadful which puts more pressure on service area provision to allow somewhere decent for travellers to park and rest sensibly....but these are treated as 'pack em in' money making enterprises and MH and caravans don't bring the same return per sq foot.....so we get what we get....a poor deal
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I have also questioned why they have been closed and have had a reply from the Highways agency and it seems that laybys that have been closed are normally too small and too close to the main highway to enable safe entry exit ,but it is being "addressed"as part of any road upgrades
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We've lost a local one due to subsidence, I expect that happens often on roads which pass along hill edges, river sides etc. Very expensive to repair.
I think Jill in the OP posted something that had appeared on FB but it's more of a snap shot, probably made worse during the very busy school holiday period where most services are under pressure.
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I think it’s best if those touring make their own plans around stops. Social media possibly creates as many issues as it solves. Hence my comment about not relying upon Scotch Corner. Wetherby is possibly the best, newest, easiest services on A1 North of M18 junction, but it’s very popularity in peak season brings its own issues. We never use it with MH or towing as we know it will be difficult, but those two service roads running adjacent have a good few options. We hardly ever use the actual A1 from Catterick to Wetherby, zip along the old roads, A6055, and A168. Best with a co pilot though.......
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but these are treated as 'pack em in' money making enterprises and MH and caravans don't bring the same return per sq foot.....so we get what we get....a poor deal
BB - I read this part of your post and immediately thought "How do the Operators know how much a Caravanner or Motorhomer brings in and spends?" They won't know them from Adam when they step through the front door.
Then I thought of a different interpretation of your post, meaning that the bays for Cvs and Mhs take up more room to supply, cutting down on possible space for cars, so the operators could fit in twice as many units into the bays even though both parties might spend the same amount of money per head.
I am assuming you meant the second thought I had. Just shows it often pays to think twice.
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We too have been happy with Wetherby. It's the only one we've found with attendants who actually keep the caravan bays for caravans. It is utterly infuriating to pull into services only to find that several caravan bays are taken up with cars and vans which could easily park in empty spaces a bit further round. Sad, when caravan bays have been built into the design. But worse still what about services that don't have any caravan bays at all? It's high time this issue was addressed - if only from a safety point of view. Glib advice from motoring organisations, etc. to stop after two hours. HUH! Just where exactly. This has been discussed here before and we ask why the CAMC aren't lobbying with other industry bodies to get this looked into. Caravan sales are in double digits annually and the problem is only going to get worse. We don't all just caravan within a two hour radius of home. Having just returned from two months in France, where Aires de repos are exactly that "rest stops", the U.K. continues to disappoint in this regard. Phew. Rant over. Feel better for that.
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"Aires de repos" - usually a far more restful environment than your average Motorway services area and a whole lot more frequent but, of course, I've fallen into the trap of comparing with "over there" on the UK section. Lay-bys on non trunk A roads are the best for a restful break.
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This has been discussed here before and we ask why the CAMC aren't lobbying with other industry bodies to get this looked into.
The club and other organisations have been involved. We were asked to take part in a survey which many members of this forum gladly did. This was in April last year and we are still awaiting for the club to tell us the findings of the working party set up to look into this matter, despite numerous requests for the club to do so.
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One good thing about Wetherby is that they wont tolerate numpty selfish solo car drivers occupying the caravan spaces. They sharp get moved on, unlike other service stations where cars and vans occupy them even when there are plenty of spaces.
Wetherby's problems are rooted in the fact there is a lack of overall capacity due to poor planning. It has to cope with both North and Southbound carriageways.
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