Blyth: Difference between revisions
Rich (message wall | contribs) Updates following today's visit |
Rich (message wall | contribs) |
||
| Line 59: | Line 59: | ||
The 16 acres of land had previously been identified for use as a shopping centre. | The 16 acres of land had previously been identified for use as a shopping centre. | ||
As a result of its small scale, Blyth was Granada's standard back-up design with a cross shape. This turned out to become much busier than expected, so when Burger King was added it was placed in the very middle of the building, rather than interrupting the small restaurant area. | As a result of its small scale, Blyth was designed using Granada's standard back-up design with a cross shape building. This turned out to become much busier than expected, so when Burger King was added it was placed in the very middle of the building, rather than interrupting the small restaurant area. | ||
The restaurant and coffee area followed Granada and then Moto's brand names changes, becoming [[EDC]] and [[Caffè Ritazza]]. An "EDC Express" van would be parked outside to manage queues. The restaurants then became [[Costa]], [[Greggs]] and a shared seating area. | The restaurant and coffee area followed Granada and then Moto's brand names changes, becoming [[EDC]] and [[Caffè Ritazza]]. An "EDC Express" van would be parked outside to manage queues. The restaurants then became [[Costa]], [[Greggs]] and a shared seating area. | ||
Revision as of 17:54, 14 March 2023
A1(M) at J34
(also accessible to traffic on the A1, A614 and the B6045)
Signposted from the road.
S81 8HG
map and directions
Single site located at a junction.
Small services at the bottom of the Doncaster Bypass, or top of the Blyth Bypass if you prefer. It's no longer accessed directly from the A1, but from the new interchange next to it.
Facilities
Catering: Burger King, Costa Coffee, Greggs, Costa Express, Krispy Kreme Shops: M&S Simply Food, WHSmith Amenities: Travelodge, &Play, Full Hou$e, Showers Outdoor Space: Grass space behind hotel Charging Points: GRIDSERVE Electric Highway 50kW CCS, 50kW CHAdeMO & 22kW Type 2 Forecourt: Esso, SPAR, Rollover, Starbucks on the Go, Jet Wash, Free Cash Machine
Parking Prices
First 2 hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £15 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £28. HGVs can pay £31 to include a £10 food voucher.
Prices are paid using PayByPhone. The location code is 2428.
The fees are strictly enforced by CP Plus.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Bawtry Road
Blyth
Worksop
Nottinghamshire
S81 8HG
- Amenity building operated by Moto
- Hotel operated by Travelodge
- Forecourt operated by EG Group
- Foursquare Page
- 📞 Telephone number: 01909 591841
- 📌 what3words: ///dabbing.rational.croaking
- more map options
Trivia and History
Road signs welcoming visitors to the closed, old service area entrance, pictured in 2008.
This service area was privately developed by Granada and Esso as an A-road service area. This made it an easy way to increase their presence without needing to tackle all the regulations that come with building a new motorway site. It was positioned two miles north of a small service area owned by their arch-rival, Forte. Blyth was planned quickly, and opened in early 1988.
The 16 acres of land had previously been identified for use as a shopping centre.
As a result of its small scale, Blyth was designed using Granada's standard back-up design with a cross shape building. This turned out to become much busier than expected, so when Burger King was added it was placed in the very middle of the building, rather than interrupting the small restaurant area.
The restaurant and coffee area followed Granada and then Moto's brand names changes, becoming EDC and Caffè Ritazza. An "EDC Express" van would be parked outside to manage queues. The restaurants then became Costa, Greggs and a shared seating area.
A 2011 extension saw the site gain a M&S Simply Food store and lose the large restaurant windows. An outdoor children's play area was also removed.
As a result of the original partnership, the forecourt was operated directly by Esso, who fitted it with a Snack & Shop store and Coffee Nation offering. It was sold to Euro Garages in 2015. Euro Garages rebranded the store to SPAR, added a Starbucks on the Go machine and a Subway offering. The Subway unit closed in late 2020 but, despite the closure, the unit remained fully furnished for some time after. The store was later re-designed in 2022, removing the Subway unit and gaining a new Rollover hot food offering.
Junction Changes
When it was built, Blyth was accessed from the main southbound carriageway of the A1. The Hilltop Roundabout allowed northbound traffic to turn around, access the service area, and then all traffic followed the exit back to the A614.
The roundabout was replaced with a flyover in 2008. As a result of the new alignment, the direct access from the A1 was removed and the existing exit road was made two-way. The old entry to the HGV parking area was turned into a turning circle. It was some time before all the signage was updated to reflect the new road layout.
Moving the entrance and the resultant tree planting left Blyth with a lot of green space. The old roadway was then turned into an overflow car park in around 2013, and is currently being redeveloped into a large electric vehicle charging hub.
Moto currently hold planning permission to add a Changing Places facility here in its own pre-fabricated extension to the main building.
Rival Facilities
Some people remember the Hilltop Roundabout for the Hilltop Café, which was positioned opposite where Blyth services was built. It had a long, glass dining room and a small, American-style tower in the middle. It was ran by Blue Star and had direct access from the A1 northbound. The café closed in late 1985.
In June 2019, EG Group opened a KFC Drive Thru and Starbucks Drive Thru on the other side of the Hilltop Roundabout. These facilities are not signposted from any main road but still act as competitors to the signed Moto facilities.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| road becomes A1 Markham Moor (11 miles) | Services on the A1(M) | Carcroft (northbound, 16 miles) Barnsdale Bar (19 miles) Doncaster (North) (M18, 19 miles) |
| Grantham North (38 miles) | Moto services | Ferrybridge (24 miles) Doncaster (North) (M18, 19 miles) |
Visitor Feedback
Visitors can leave public feedback on their experience by logging into the CommentBox app. You can do so quickly below:
Views expressed in these comments are those of the individual contributor. User accounts are managed by CommentBox.io. Registration helps prevent automated spam.
We ask the companies named to check here, but we can't force them to do so.