Capelgate and Bentley services
A12 at J32A
Signposted from the road.
IP9 2JJ
(Google Maps link)
Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them.
A complicated history of several sites clustered around a junction. While it is technically possible to move between northbound and southbound here, it's not an official route.
Facilities
Northbound (Capelgate) Facilities
Catering: Cappadocia Outdoor Space: Tiny grass verge only; public footpath connection Forecourt: JET, Londis, Costa Express, Dunkin' Donuts, Rollover
None of the northbound facilities are accessible to HGVs.
Southbound (Bentley) Facilities
Catering: Starbucks Amenities: Travelodge Outdoor Space: Grass verge behind coffee shop Forecourt: BP, Shop, Costa Express, Rollover
Only the southbound forecourt is accessible to HGVs.
Parking Prices
Short stay customer car parking is available on both sides.
No HGV access is available northbound. The southbound side can be used by HGVs, but there are no formal parking spaces.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
đą Address:
Capelgate Services
A 12
London Road
Capel St. Mary
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP9 2JJ
- đș Grid reference: TM099383
đ Operators & Official Websites:
Trivia and History
The bypass of Capel St Mary is an old (1960s) one, with a flat crossroads serving the village. When the village was bypassed, a pair of garages were built on the new bypass.
Forecourt History
The northbound filling station was originally a garage known as Pinetree Garage. In 1990, the garage was demolished and a new filling station and sales shop were built giving us the filling station we see here today. The filling station was previously branded Jet with a Costcutter Express store. In 2010, the site was sold to Murco with the site becoming more commonly known as Capelgate Filling Station. In late 2014, Murco was acquired by MFG who by summer 2015 had rebranded the site back to JET. In 2016, MFG rebranded the shop to Londis.
MFG refurbished the Londis store in November 2022, introducing a new Dunkin' Donuts offering and extended their existing range.
The southbound filling station known as Bentley Service Station was formerly directly operated by BP as one of their BP Connect sites. In 2009, a Wild Bean Café was added. In 2014, the site was sold to an independent operator who removed the Wild Bean Café and briefly added a Mace store. This was replaced by a SPAR store in 2015, before being de-branded in early 2021. The store offered Costcutter produce for a time, with no external advertising, but this is no longer the case.
MFG intend to build eight electric vehicle charging points on the grass behind their forecourt.
Restaurant History
In 1986, Forte added a Little ChefHistory on either side to join the existing filling stations. These each gained a Coffee Stop in 1994 and Burger Kings in 1996. The southbound Little ChefHistory also gained a Travelodge in around 1992.
Following R Capital's closure of 67 underperforming sites, both restaurants closed in 2012. The northbound restaurant was purchased in autumn 2014 and refurbished reopening in December 2014 as Cappadocia Turkish restaurant whilst the southbound restaurant went onto become a Starbucks store reopening in late 2012. The Starbucks store was later sold to Euro Garages who planned to add a Subway store at one point.
There was once a third restaurant immediately to the south of here at the previously junction. This was built in the early 1980s as a Happy Eater. Initially it competed with Little Chefs, and then pretended to compete while they were both owned by the same company. Eventually it had to be converted, but it only served as a Little Chef from 1998 until 2000 before it inevitably closed. The building went onto become the Harvest Moon Café until 2017 when it was converted into Zaynab Indian restaurant.
Alternatives
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| Colchester (10 miles) | Services on the A12 | Orwell (A14 westbound, 7 miles) Martlesham Heath (13 miles) Beacon Hill (A14, 11 miles) |