The 90 motorway services across the country have been ranked based on categories including prices in food/retail outlets, shops, food and drink selection, facilities, cleanliness, convenience and accessibility and outside space
The best and worst motorway service stations in the country have been ranked.
Gloucester Services has been crowned the king of motorway stops, while Bridgwater Services in Somerset languishes at the bottom.
More than 4,000 rest stop enthusiasts ranked 90 across the country, scrutinising them in a Which? poll on factors such as retail prices, shop selection, food and drink offerings, cleanliness, convenience, accessibility, and outdoor areas.
The best of the best is Gloucester Services, which scored five-star ratings across most categories. One visitor gushed: “If motorway service stations were like Gloucester, I’d be delighted to spend time at any. Glos is a pleasure, has great staff, nice food, a farm shop, a garden with a lakeside walk and dog walking. They deserve every success.”
Another traveller commended the top-tier service stop by saying it was “head and shoulders above all the others that I’ve used”.
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Westmorland Family’s other services aren’t far behind; Tebay Services on the M6 in Cumbria scored 77%, and Cairn Lodge Services on the M74 in Lanarkshire earned 72%.
On the other end of things, there are many service stations that are leaving customers filled with despair, and one operator in particular is associated with them. Nine of the bottom 10 locations are run by Moto.
Moto’s Bridgwater Services on the M5 has been crowned the worst motorway service station, managing a dismal 23 per cent satisfaction score. Visitors slammed the services for its lack of parking, cramped and overpriced amenities that “look and feel filthy”, topped off with toilets that apparently “smelt of stale urine”.
Reviews online are no kinder. “Don’t do it to yourself. Never stop here. Getting off the motorway is a disaster. The parking is a disaster. Greggs is a caravan (literally). You can not move in the cramped M&S. Extremely limited seating. Dogs are everywhere inside and out. Do yourself a favour, drive past, don’t look back,” one unhappy customer wrote.
Another chimed in: “Small, shabby services just off the M5. (If I’d been aware of the convoluted route to reach it from the motorway, I wouldn’t have bothered.) It’s poorly signposted, both on entry and exit, and it’s far from clear which way to go. Parking is in a damp and gloomy multi-storey. Greggs had no hot food available, so I just returned to the car and left.”
Other services didn’t fare much better in the rankings, with Leeming Bar in North Yorkshire, Lancaster, and Hilton Park in Staffordshire trailing just ahead of Bridgwater.
Lancaster Services on the M6 scored slightly better at 34 per cent but still faced customer ire. Travellers reported the services to be “crowded” with “poor access” owing to shops and food courts being connected only by an inconvenient pedestrian bridge.
In a less-than-appetising account, visitors were irked to find themselves crossing said bridge for “an underwhelming breakfast served in a cardboard box”. The hauntingly vacant Pennine Tower stands as a relic of Lancaster Services’ brighter past.
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Not to be outdone in underachievement, Hilton Park also on the M6 garnered the same low score of 34 per cent, described as “dark and gloomy” by patrons. One disgruntled customer told Which?: “You would be lucky to have the luxury of a decent flow of hot water to wash your hands, let alone find any soap. It’s a disgrace”.
Ken McMeikan, CEO of Moto, noted that the third placed service station, Rugby, is one of theirs. He told the Mirror: “During the past two years, we have invested over £50 million in refurbishing our service stations and building a new motorway service area on the A1M at Sawtry. This substantial investment demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the experience for all our customers. We value customer feedback and are resolutely committed to addressing any concerns.
“The most recent independent Transport Focus study, conducted in the summer of 2023, surveyed a significantly larger group than the Which? panel. Moto achieved an average customer satisfaction score of 94% across our Motorway Service Areas. This feedback highlights the positive impact of our ongoing efforts.
“Our commitment to continuous improvement is evident in our extensive refurbishment programme, particularly targeting older Motorway Service Areas. We’ve also invested heavily to refurbish 75% of our toilet blocks in the last five years.”
Mr McMeikan highlighted two Moto service stations which have seen recent improvements.
“Bridgwater: We have invested over £500,000 in maintaining and expanding this site, resulting in significant upgrades. The site scored 88% in the Transport Focus study, showcasing improvements over the period since Which? respondents began visiting,” he said.
“Lancaster North: This site has benefited from a comprehensive investment of over £3m focused on expansion and facility upgrades. These enhancements are reflected in the site’s average 90% satisfaction score in the Transport Focus study.”
The service station rankings
(Services, motorway, customer score)
- Gloucester (M5): 85%
- Tebay (M6): 77%
- Rugby (M6): 75%
- Cairn Lodge (M74): 72%
- Leeds Skelton Lake (M1): 68%
- Norton Cane (M6 toll): 59%
- Killington Lake (M6): 58%
- Annandale Water (A74) 56%
- Beaconsfield (M40): 56%
- Donington (M1): 55%
- Baldock (A1): 54%
- Stafford North (M6): 54%
- Gretna (A74): 53%
- Peterborough (A1): 53%
- Winchester (M3): 53%
- Sedgemoor (M5): 52%
- Warwick (M40): 52%
- Cherwell Valley (M40): 51%
- Reading (M4): 51%
- Wetherby (A1): 51%
- Cobham (M25): 50%
- Hopwood Park (M42): 50%
- Leigh Delamere (M4): 50%
- Ferrybridge (M62): 49%
- Oxford (M40): 49%
- Chester (M56): 48%
- Doncaster (M18): 48%
- Michaelwood (M5): 48%
- Stafford South (M6): 48%
- Strensham (M5): 48%
- Fleet (M3): 47%
- Abington (M74): 46%
- Burton-in-Kendal (M6): 46%
- Corley (M6): 46%
- Northampton (M1): 46%
- Sedgemoor (M5): 46%
- Tamworth (M42): 46%
- Taunton Deane (M5): 46%
- Tibshelf (M1): 46%
- South Mimms (M25): 45%
- Chieveley (M4): 44%
- Durham (A1): 44%
- Leicester Forest East (M1): 44%
- Rivington (M61): 44%
- Woolley Edge (M1): 44%
- Abington (A74): 43%
- Clacket Lane (M25): 43%
- Magor (M4): 43%
- Pease Pottage (M23): 43%
- Sarn Park (M4): 43%
- Telford (M54): 43%
- Birch (M62): 42%
- Birchanger Green (M1): 42%
- Exeter (M5): 42%
- Gordano (M5): 42%
- Maidstone (M20): 42%
- Medway (M2): 42%
- Membury (M4): 42%
- Pont Abraham (M4); 42%
- Blyth (A1): 41%
- Keele (M6): 41%
- Rownhams (M27): 41%
- Southwaite (M6): 41%
- Trowell (M1): 41%
- Knutsford (M6): 40%
- Stirling (M80): 40%
- Cardiff West (M4): 39%
- Hartshead Moor (M62): 39%
- Heston (M4): 39%
- London Gateway (M1): 39%
- Newport Pagnell (M1): 39%
- Scotch Corner (A1): 39%
- Severn View (M48): 39%
- Woodall (M1): 39%
- Cardiff Gate (M4): 38%
- Cullompton (M5): 38%
- Hamilton (M74): 38%
- Swansea West (M4): 38%
- Charnock Richard (M6): 37%
- Sandbach (M6): 37%
- Frankley (M5): 36%
- Kinross (M90): 36%
- Toddington (M1): 36%
- Washington (A1): 36%
- Watford Gap (M1): 36%
- Thurrock (M25): 35%
- Hilton Park (M6): 34%
- Lancaster (M6): 34%
- Leeming Bar (A1): 26%
- Bridgewater (M5): 23%