We are paying our first visit to Old Oaks end of May (week after BH) and I'm looking for somewhere to stop on the way. Looking at probably around a 6 hour journey so wondering which services are the best for a novice caravan tower! In fairness it's a Gobur folding caravan so not as big as some caravans. Would need toilets and a grass area to let Pinto spend a penny, we could pack up so food outlets not a necessity. Thanks in advance 😊
------------- May/June - Spring Valley
Aug/Sept - Leekworth
I've looked at the route, and see there are no motorway services between Castle Donnington and Gloucester. I expect Gloucester to be good, but it's more than half way. But then you'd have a shorter distance to complete.
Hi, if you are going M1, M42 and M5, then if you want a services before Gloucester, then you have Hopwood on the M42 (about half way) or Strensham on the M5 before Gloucester. From google map Hopwood looks to have drive in - drive out parking for caravans (or use the lorry park if not busy if its only for a quick stop)
Different strokes for different folks and all that, but I don't bat an eyelid at towing my caravan for 6 hour journeys. I've also got best part of an extra hour to/from the storage yard from/to home, so that adds to overall driving time.
That said I might consider 2 stops rather than just 1 along the way on your time/distance, I generally feel like a stretch of the legs after a couple of hours or so is beneficial. Towing at max 50/60mph can get a little tedious, and a mind and body 'refresh' does wonders for keeping attention up to scratch, I've also got a dog, and whilst she can go longer, I also like to give her a leg stretch break and a drink. Tend not to stop for more than 15-30 minutes or so, so it doesn't add significantly to overall journey time.
As to where to stop! I ALWAYS plan my journey carefully in advance, picking the most suitable spots to park up with my (largish - 4 berth) caravan, a combination of using this site to find services (http://www.motorwayservices.info/), and Google maps/streetview to check out potential suitability, paying particular attention to where the services signage directs caravans (that'll mostly be fairly grim HGV areas)!
You do of course have a choice of routes! About half way on your journey on the most direct route is Hopwood Park services on M42 at J2, there's a dedicated caravan/MH parking area with 'drive through' bays (rare!) and a bit of grass for the dog. Beware, dedicated caravan bays are often abused by vehicles that shouldn't and don't need to be there, so not always available for genuine caravanners - have a contingency plan, that usually means parking in HGV area or moving on to next services!
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
269miles in total, so half way is 130, which if perfect for tamworth services, junction 10 a5/m42 crossroads. plenty of green areas for waking the dog, however im not sure if your intending of stopping the night or just wanting a break?
I can’t help you with stops on your particular route but we have stayed at Old Oaks several times and it is really really important to follow the directions on their website for the final approach to the site. If you are going to be approaching Glastonbury from the direction of the M5, a satnav will most likely try to take you on a route that is not the best for towing. You need to use the Glastonbury bypass until you get round to the far side of Glastonbury and approach the site from that direction.
Thank you everyone. Re Hopwood, that has been one of our favourites in the past, pre-caravan, and I must admit I'm not experienced at reversing so drive through parking would be great. I gmhave, however, read elsewhere that their bays are very narrow?
The furthest I've towed the Gobur is around an hour and my biggest concern is the breaks. I would be happy to do 3 hours which would just about get us to Gloucester services but then I think what if we get any hold ups!
As someone else said above we also have a half hour drive to storage before we start the journey but it is more or less on the way.
We also considered stopping overnight at Somers Wood, perfectly half way, just need to check if we could do one night.
Thanks so much for all the tips and advice, 20+ years years camping and trailer tent experience but total folding caravan novice!
------------- May/June - Spring Valley
Aug/Sept - Leekworth
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 18/1/2025
Try Somers Wood would be my advice.
I have already contacted them, waiting for a response.
When I stayed there in August 2024, it was not full, and definitely had overnighters.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 17/1/2025
269miles in total, so half way is 130, which if perfect for tamworth services, junction 10 a5/m42 crossroads. plenty of green areas for waking the dog, however im not sure if your intending of stopping the night or just wanting a break?
Personally, I tend to set my breaks by driving time rather than mileage. Some journey segments can be rather slow going and relatively short distances take a long time, so bum on seat time tends to influence my need for a break. Good route planners give you driving times on the route (https://plan.tomtom.com/en/route/plan?p=52.46627,-2.50583,6.21z&r=(costModel:FASTE........)
I still use a rather ancient and long discontinued Microsoft Autoroute program for working out best places to take a break, as it inserts 'take a break' points for set driving durations, then use that data on a modern route planner (TomTom as above) with up to date maps and current road work info etc. for the actual route.
i dont drive to a plan! if im ok i keep going, if the road is going well, again i keep going, then again i dont have some fear of using the services either, so what if it means i park in the lorry park? i use my own toilet in the caravan, no ques and its clean! sarnies already done and in the fridge and coffees ready in the flask. staying with the caravan has major advantages regarding the safety of your gear still being there
Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 19/1/2025
i dont drive to a plan! if im ok i keep going, if the road is going well, again i keep going, then again i dont have some fear of using the services either, so what if it means i park in the lorry park? i use my own toilet in the caravan, no ques and its clean! sarnies already done and in the fridge and coffees ready in the flask. staying with the caravan has major advantages regarding the safety of your gear still being there
Very much a personal point of view, but I know my 'needs' pretty well from lots of long distance driving over decades, so I can plan ahead quite reliably. And in part, my stops are with consideration to my dog, who needs a leg stretch and a drink every bit as much as I do, AND that requires preferably a nice bit of grass and no HGVs roaring past just feet away!
If time was becoming more critical, and progress more essential, then I've skipped scheduled stops, sometimes regretted it, as not much further on found the need to take a break, usually getting a little stiff and attention not all it should be (find towing at 50/60mph quite tedious - but certainly not advocating it should be faster!) rather than need for wee or food, and available stopping places either hard found or pretty grim (I'm not always on a motorway, and suitable stopping places for car plus caravan are much harder to find on A and B roads!). My breaks are usually 2 - 3 hours apart, fitted in with best place to stop - my car also 'nags' me to 'take a break' after 2 hours of continuous driving above 40mph with a repeating warning dash message/alarm tone!
I always take my own food, and use my own onboard loo when I stop. Partly because I usually travel solo, and don't want to leave the packed car/caravan totally unattended, and/or fit all the locks the insurers demand for unattended van, and I don't like to leave the dog in the car unattended either. It also speeds up the whole stop, perhaps only 20-30mins as opposed to an hour if you use site facilities and queue etc., that time becomes important on really long journeys when you may be trying to beat last arrival deadlines or onset of dark!
If you want to stop at a services, then parking in the usually rather grim HGV area is somewhat enforced, few service areas have an alternative for caravans, so rather take that for granted.
I suppose I plan my stops to optimise them from multiple points of view, my need, my dog's need, and the likely best location. Done it for so long now, it's just second nature, and it seems to work perfectly 'for me'. Nothing worse than driving under duress, when it's a struggle, or desperate need for wee/food/drink, or trying to avoid stiffness/cramp/dozing off etc. I don't like my journeys to be a trial, they are part of my holiday and should be done in a relaxed and comfortable fashion allowing me to get to my destination in as an unstressed and comfortable manner possible.
It's a 'practice' I've advocated to others, and when tried, they seem to find it works well for them too!
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Topic: Hull to Glastonbury
via mobile 17/1/2025 at 1:23pm
