Tebay Services

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Tebay Services
Tebay Services.jpg
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Tebay Services
Location in Cumbria, England
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Tebay Services
Location in former Eden District, Cumbria
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Tebay Services
Location on the UK motorway network
Information
County Cumbria
Road M6
Coordinates: 54°27′00″N2°36′29″W / 54.45°N 2.608°W / 54.45; -2.608
Operator Westmorland Motorway Services Ltd
Northbound services
Date openedJune 1972 [1]
Southbound services
Date opened1993 [1]

Tebay Services are motorway service stations on the M6 motorway in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. The northbound opened in 1972 and the southbound in 1993. They are known for their family-run business which eschews the typical facilities at British motorway services for a farm shop and buildings in keeping with the local environment.

Contents

Location

The services are between junctions 38 and 39, on the ascent from the Lune Valley to Shap summit. As the north and southbound carriageways diverge at this point, the two service areas are not actually adjacent to each other but a couple of hundred metres apart. [2] The services are a mile north of junction 38, which is adjacent to the village of Tebay, although the services are in the civil parish of Orton.

History

Tebay West Services, which serves the northbound carriageway, was opened in June 1972 by Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester, two years after the M6 section between Lancaster and Penrith was completed. [3] [4] [5]

The M6 here passes through an environmentally sensitive area, and the services were sited in this location to fit in with the surrounding local area and provide a view away from the motorway. A corresponding southbound services, Killington Lake Services, was constructed at the same time, opening the previous month. [6]

Tebay East was opened in 1993, serving southbound traffic. [4] Both are operated by an independent family-owned company, Westmorland Motorway Services, rather than a national chain. [7] The same company runs Truckstop Services at junction 38 (just off the B6260 at Old Tebay), which opened in 1986 and caters for HGV and long-distance coaches, [4] and Gloucester Services between junctions 11a and 12 of the M5 in Gloucestershire, which was built into the side of a hill and covered with grass to reduce its visual impact. [7]

Facilities

Tebay Services are in open countryside surrounded by trees, small lakes and panoramas of the Cumbrian landscape, and has its own duck pond. [8] Westmorland shun typical motorway service food outlets. Instead, both Tebay outlets have award-winning farm shops, which sell local meat and other food, and insist on using local suppliers. [7] [9] The services have been praised as being the best in the country. [10] In 2003, Westmorland won Best Local Retailer in BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Awards, and in 2006 they were awarded Best Motorway Services in Britain by Which? . [11] The farm shops, which sell locally sourced produce, were officially opened by Prince Charles in 2004. [4]

In addition, the northbound service area has a caravan park and a hotel. This site also serves as the head office for Westmorland Motorway Services. [4]

Testimonials

Comedian Gary Delaney has described Tebay Services as "...the Daniel Kitson of services", a reference to comedian Daniel Kitson's reputation as an accomplished comedic writer and performer who rarely appears in the media and therefore relies greatly on word of mouth. [12]

Appearing on Top Gear: Extra Gear , comedian John Robins named Tebay northbound and southbound as two of his top three favourite motorway service stations. [13]

Fellow comedian Frank Skinner proclaimed on his Absolute Radio show that “if there is a road to heaven, Tebay Services would be the service station on that road”.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">M40 motorway</span> British motorway connecting London and Birmingham

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">A66 road</span> Trans-Pennine A road in Northern England

The A66 is a major road in Northern England, which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. It runs from east of Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire to Workington in Cumbria. The road has been progressively improved with dual carriageway sections, but with stretches of single carriageway road. The road is set to be completely dualled between Scotch Corner in Penrith, with a £1.3 billion scheme being announced in March 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orton, Westmorland and Furness</span> Village in Cumbria, England

Orton is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England. It lies 15 miles (24 km) south of Penrith, 8 miles (13 km) from Appleby-in-Westmorland and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the M6 motorway. The village is in the upper Lune Valley, at the foot of Orton Scar in the Orton Fells. The Lake District is nearby. The parish includes a wide area outside the village, and had a population of 594 in 2001, decreasing to 588 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corley services</span> Motorway service station in Warwickshire, England

Corley services is a motorway service station between junctions 3 and 3A of the M6 motorway in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is close to the village of Corley, with the nearest city being Coventry several miles to the south, with Birmingham being situated slightly further to the west. A footbridge, made of concrete but now clad in green fibreglass panelling, spans the motorway to link services on both sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knutsford Services</span> Motorway service station in Cheshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stafford services</span> Pair of motorway service stations in Staffordshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwaite Services</span> Motorway service station in Cumbria, England

Southwaite services is a motorway service station, between junctions 41 and 42 of the M6 motorway near Southwaite, Cumbria, England. It is about 7 miles (11 km) south of Carlisle, within the civil parish of Hesket

Westmorland Motorway Services Limited is the British holding company that owns Westmorland Limited who run three motorway service stations plus a truckstop close to the M6 motorway and a combined service and visitor/exhibition centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shap Summit</span> Hill in Cumbria, United Kingdom

Shap Summit refers to three different route summits in close proximity, of the A6 road, M6 motorway and the highest point of the West Coast Main Line railway in England, near to the Cumbria village of Shap in North West England, crossing the hills of the Lake District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tebay</span> Human settlement in England

Tebay is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, within the historic borders of Westmorland. It lies in the upper Lune Valley, at the head of the Lune Gorge. The parish had a population of 728 in the 2001 census, increasing to 776 at the Census 2011.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killington Lake Services</span> Motorway service station in Cumbria, England

Killington Lake Services is a motorway service station on the M6 motorway between Junctions 37 and 36 near Killington Lake in Cumbria, England. It was opened in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodall MSA</span>

Woodall services is a motorway service station on the M1 motorway in Rotherham close to Sheffield in England. It lies between junctions 30 and 31. It was opened in 1968 by Trust House Forte but was renamed Welcome Break after the takeover of the company. It takes its name from the nearby village of Woodall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A685 road</span> Road in Cumbria, England

The A685 is a road in Cumbria, England, that runs 28 miles (45 km) from Kendal to Brough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borrow Beck</span> Stream in Cumbria, England

Borrow Beck is a stream running through Cumbria, England on the eastern edge of the English Lake District. The area previously formed part of the traditional county of Westmorland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout Green</span> Human settlement in England

Scout Green is a hamlet and small area of farm land near the village of Tebay in Cumbria, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strensham services</span> Motorway service station in Worcestershire, England

Strensham services is a motorway service station on the M5 in Worcestershire, England. It is operated by Roadchef. In August 2011, it was rated as 4 stars (southbound) and 3 stars (northbound) by quality assessors at Visit England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester Services</span> Motorway service areas in Gloucestershire, England

Gloucester Services are a pair of Motorway Service Areas (MSA) serving the northbound and southbound carriageways of the M5 between Junction 11A and Junction 12, near Whaddon, Gloucester. It specialises in selling artisanal food, and does not offer outlets for popular chain food brands. Fuel is provided by Esso and electric vehicle charging facilities are available.

References

  1. 1 2 Motorway Services Trivia – Chronology – Accessed 21 January 2009
  2. ↑ "Tebay Services". Google Maps. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Manchester Evening News Tuesday 16 May 1972, page 7
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tebay Services". Visit Cumbria. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "M6 Through Westmorland J35 to J40 – Dates". The Motorway Archive. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "M6 Through Westmorland J35 to J40". The Motorway Archive. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Family-owned motorway services profit by shunning burgers" . Financial Times. 6 February 2017. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  8. ↑ ""Tebay services on the M6 near Penrith was judged the best"". The Times. 18 November 2006. p. 17. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  9. ↑ "Lune Gorge". Motorway Archive. 6 March 2020.
  10. ↑ "The M6 services where all the jams are home made". The Daily Telegraph. 7 March 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  11. ↑ "Awards". Tebay Services. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  12. ↑ "Episode 43 – Fake Excuses, McCartney News & Some Special Toilets from Elis James and John Robins on Radio X Podcast". podbay.[ dead link ]
  13. ↑ "Extra Gear - Episode 4". BBC. 19 June 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
Next southbound:
Killington Lake 		Motorway service stations on the
M6 motorway 		Next northbound:
Southwaite
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