Lolworth and Swavesey services
(former)
| Road: | A14 between J28A and J29 (Google Maps link) |
| Address: | Little Chef Huntingdon Road Lolworth Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB23 8DR |
| Opened: | 1969 |
| Services type: | Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them. |
Lolworth and Swavesey were a pair of services on the A14. Although they were separate facilities and a good mile apart, they effectively operated together in tandem, and have now both lost full signage or closed following the widening of the A14.
The westbound (Lolworth) Little ChefHistory opened around 1970 while the eastbound (Swavesey) Little Chef opened in 1984. Confusingly, the Lolworth site was also known as Bar Hill.
In 2000, both sites gained a rival in the Cambridge services, which opened right opposite Swavesey and was considerably larger.
Lolworth
Forte purchased an existing transport café, itself a converted property, which was next to the Bar Hill forecourt. In 1985 they rebuilt it in a more modern style. There were plans to add a Little Chef Lodge at the time, but it was refused and the Travelodge didn't arrive for some time later.
Lolworth gained a Coffee Stop in the 1990s, which became a Café Nescafe and then Burger King, and was then later removed. The filling station was branded Fina, and in 1998 it was destroyed when a lorry collided with it. It later became Total, changing to BP in 2012. It was operated by MRH and had an unbranded shop and a Costa Express machine.
In 2014, Lolworth Little Chef underwent a major refurbishment, the first to be done by Kout Food Group. This saw the Burger King rebuilt.
On 14 May 2017, the restaurant and petrol station at the westbound services closed to make way for the A14 widening works. From this point, signs on the A14 advised traffic that there is "no fuel or services", while a sign for Cambridge services has been erected a few miles before. The Travelodge then later closed in early 2019.
It is not known what will become of the former Lolworth site, but it won't be accessed from the new road. The new road was designed to motorway standards, so even if some of Lolworth's land wasn't needed to widen the road, there still couldn't be an exit to a facility so small.
Swavesey
Swavesey services is set to continue for the time being, offering an independent diner called Herbie's American Bar & Grill, a Travelodge and a hand car wash (in place of the Texaco forecourt - itself previously called 'Six O Four').
As the Little Chef and petrol station have closed - probably a consequence of the competition - all the signs for the services have been taken down. This means it is no longer officially regarded as a service area.
After the new A14 is completed, the old A14 eastbound will become the A1307. This means Swavesey services will still be there, but not easily accessible to traffic on the main road. This means the diner and motel could continue to operate but not as a typical service area set-up, much like Redwings.