Best and worst motorway service stations in the UK

A survey by consumer group Which? has ranked the stations based on their range of facilities, cleanliness, prices, and ease of social distancing.

The top station is Gloucester on the M5, which received a score of 86 per cent and five stars for cleanliness, quality of its shops and food outlets, and its range of facilities.

One visitor described the services as "as far from a typical motorway stop as you can imagine", where customers can enjoy home cooked meals and buy local produce from the "fabulous" farm shop.

Traffic on the M5 motorway

Tebay on the M6 in Cumbria came in second with a score of 83 per cent, winning praise for the freshly prepared food on offer in the restaurant and farm shop, while Cairn Lodge on the M74 in Lanarkshire came third with 69 per cent.

Which? surveyed more than 2,700 members covering around 5,600 experiences at almost 70 motorway service stations across the UK.

At the other end of the table was Bridgwater on the M5 in Somerset, which was described by recent visitors as "dirty" and "depressing".

The service station, owned by Moto, was awarded just one star in every category, scoring a total of just 32 per cent.

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The best and worst ranked services were only an hour's drive apart on the M5, showing the value of planning ahead when it comes to taking a break on a long journey.

Welcome Break was responsible for half of the 10 service stations at the bottom of the table – more than any other brand, including Gordano near Bristol and Newport Pagnell near Milton Keynes.

Roadchef, meanwhile, runs three of the services listed in the bottom 10, including Watford Gap on the M1 in Northamptonshire and Sandbach on the M6 in Cheshire.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: "The results of our survey show that it pays to plan ahead to avoid some of the UK's worst motorway services.

The best and worst motorway services have been revealed

"It could be the difference between a home-cooked meal in peaceful surroundings, or crowded queues in downright dirty facilities.

"Whether you're zipping down the M5 towards the beaches on the south-west coast, or up the M6 towards the Scottish border, make sure your journey isn't spoiled by a stop at a shoddy service station."

Here's the full list: 

Do you agree with the list? Let us know in the comments.