Dropped my caravan at Ropers this morning for her first service, and then popped a few miles back up the A1 to stop off at Scotch Corner services, a useful place to park and eat my picnic lunch. Bloomin’ good job I did - because since our last stop there, less than a month ago, the car park has been changed and it is quite clear that Caravans. Are. No. Longer. Welcome. I would not have liked to discover these changes with 7 metres of large white box behind me!
Previously caravans shared a large area with coaches, with a safe access in and out. They have now been banned from the Coach Park (fine £100, do not pass go, do not obstruct your licence plate) and are allocated four tiny little spaces at the end of the general car park. Today the place was deserted, on a weekend in the summer it is hell on earth driving through this section in a normal car, it will be thoroughly nasty when towing.
The spaces are not wide enough for a caravan, and if there are any cars parked nearby it won’t be possible to make the turn into them. It will also be difficult-to-impossible to get out as there is not room to pull forward far enough to allow for the swing on the back of a van.
I know why the owners of the services have done this - coach passengers all troop off to the loo, and then in their boredom spend goodness knows how much on sweets, cakes and junk from the shop. Caravanners are self-contained and don’t need to waste money on over-priced and usually stale produce (I have never yet managed to buy a pastry from the onsite M&S which wasn’t already dry and tasteless).
The op presents the caravanner's argument & I'm sure the coach drivers could present their own argument. The service station operator is of course the final arbiter & they are always going to follow the money from the many coach passengers rather than the few caravanners.
I would agree the caravan park is poorly designed. HGV parks are also often badly designed & require drivers to reverse into spaces. It does appear that these caravan spaces have been laid out in same way but generally caravanners are not so adept at revesing their outfits as truck drivers.
I think caravanners on the road at busy holiday periods do need to make the assumption that they might have difficulty parking at motorway services for a break though.
Go a couple of hundred yards down the A66 and pull into sedbury layby. Plenty of parking room, Small cafe selling home made food, toilets, picnic benches. When you come out you don't have to drive far before you can turn right and get back onto the other side of the carriage way back to scotch corner
------------- Good cakes aren't cheap. Cheap cakes aren't good
Caravans have been stopped from using these services since the road works started . as for the A66 layby the toilets are a disgrace .and the cafe was closed a few months back.
Barton services is about a mile north of Scotch corner with access from both north and south A1. Not the best car park surface you will find--but plenty of room and cheaper!
Also you now have a choice of 2 services just 10-15 minutes south of scotch corner at Leeming Bar.They are situated on either side of the A1 and both have access from either direction.
Quote: Originally posted by WOBBLE on 02/11/2017
Caravans have been stopped from using these services since the road works started . as for the A66 layby the toilets are a disgrace .and the cafe was closed a few months back.
One point to make.
You have your own toilet behind you.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Heads up - Scotch Corner, A1(M)
