Opened: 1972
Original owner: Westmorland
Current Owner: Westmorland
Northbound Only (Tebay East serves the southbound side) |
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Trivia:
Concentrates on Local produce and styling
The only MSA with a Caravan Camping park
Owned by Westmorland Ltd- one of the smaller MSA’s and firmly rooted in local business.
Temporarily renamed as Tebay Mountain Lodge during early 1990’s
Praised by Egon Ronay when he surveyed Motorway Services in 2000 and gained 2 stars. One of only 5 MSA’s to get this award.
When the restaurant at Tebay West was refurbished in 2000 it was briefly renamed as “The Howgill Restaurant” this was dropped after some customers thought that it was a full service (waiter/waitress) facility
History
Opened in 1972 with a small shop (where the Coffee Shop now is), a cafeteria seating only 60 people and a Shell filling station that comprised about 6 pumps and a wooden hut as a kiosk.
Tebay Mountain Lodge Motel opens in 1976 with 32 rooms (no restaurant facilities at the time)
In 1980, Tebay Caravan Park opened on the site to allow Caravans and Campers to pitch for an onvernight stay or longer. This is now the Tebay Park Touring & Static Caravan Site and is the only MSA with such facilities.
In the Early Eighties, The shop and cafe at Tebay West were extended slightly.
The motel became known as a Hotel with the opening of a small restaurant and conference facilities
When the restaurant at Tebay West was refurbished in 2000 it was briefly renamed as “The Howgill Restaurant” this was dropped after some customers thought that it was a full service (waiter/waitress) facility
1988 – Redevelopment of Tebay West. New forecourt and shop built (BP), new shop built alongside restaurant and restaurant extended to seat 300 people.
1996 – Coffee Shop opened
During the Mid 1990’s food production for both Tebay Sites (+other Westmorland interests, such as the truckstop just off M6 J38) was centralised with a new kitchen built at Tebay East and a sandwich making department.
The hotel was extended to 53 bedrooms in 1997, and has now been awarded Upper 3 stars by both the AA and RAC, 4 crowns by the ETB and has an AA rosette for its food served in the Bretherdale Restaurant. The hotel also has larger conference facilities. To reflect the change the hotel was renamed The Westmorland Hotel.
In 1998 an office block was built and named Westmorland Place, to house all Head Office functions.
1999 – Further redevelopment of the restaurant with larger food servery area.
2000 – The petrol franchise at Tebay changed from BP to Texaco
2000 – When the restaurant at Tebay West was refurbished in 2000 it was briefly renamed as “The Howgill Restaurant” this was dropped after some customers thought that it was a full service (waiter/waitress) facility
2003 – New kitchen built at Tebay West (The cafe had extended several times since opening, but the kitchen remained the same size!)
2003 – Farm Shops opened at Tebay East & West
2004 – Farm Shops visited by Prince Charles
2004 – Featured on the BBC programme “Country File”
See also:
Tebay East
Westmorland Entry on the Operators page
J38 Truckstop page
www.westmorland.com
Received votes and a sample of comments (archived from old site):
| People who prefer this MSA |
90 |
| People happy to visit |
10 |
| People who avoid this MSA |
32 |
| Selection of comments received |
No disabled access, shop or hotel. What there is is brilliant though, making this one of my favourite MSAs. 08/04/2005 14:30:05
The only bad point is the sharp unlit sliproad 09/04/2005 11:31:55
It was crappy, chompy, muddy, angry and it smelt like a Golden Retrievers pancreas but good chips though. 09/04/2005 20:18:51
Takes on a certain cruising ambiance after 10pm – didnt bother checking out the bridge 31/05/2005 11:42:33
This area was also Forte owned and at one time took over from Newport Pagnall as the operating HQ25/06/2005 09:04:15
coffee shop never open…latest experience 25.06.05 at 1115hrs staff were still preparing for opening. They had effectively missed all of the breakfast and mid morning coffee trade. Costa Coffee down the road at Killington sounds a far better bet. 18/07/2005 14:49:56
Always go here if I pass it. Excellent farmshop, friendly staff, even had a half decent curry there.24/07/2005 12:21:11
Really fresh and clean. Restaurant is echoey and lacks personality. great for kids though they love the water feature! 09/09/2005 19:49:14
Wonderful place- a mecca for foodies. My favourite MSA by far, and the only one we could really hold up with pride to compare with the French facilities. 02/12/2005 14:14:57
This is a grotty disgusting servives, staff rude, toilets unclean and stink its over prices and very basic. You are better going a few more miles to the beautiful killington lake. 03/12/2005 11:45:25
Beautiful surroundings – the building itself tastfully clad in a combination of Granite walls and Pine ceilings – a very warm and welcoming feel to this Service area – which I always come back too.13/01/2006 16:45:31
15/01/2006 21:15:09
29/01/2006 12:54:03
I stayed there with my family for a weekend break once – great for visiting Manchester and the Wirral, and great breakfasts. 01/02/2006 11:40:08
This service area looks like a dump and I rarley use it as i come from manchester and theres no need to stop. I stopped once and it was awful with the westbound side looking deserted and having to go through a subway to the westbound carriageway. 29/03/2006 22:16:01
its ok, but will never be as good as westmorland! 03/04/2006 01:28:32
How can they justify charging £12 if parking for over 2 hours? 15/04/2006 08:26:33
Better signs for cars. Easy to drive round into truck bay then not clear that you can drive on through barrier even though a car. Even watched a foreign truck go back out the wrong way because of this.18/04/2006 10:35:46
£1.90 for small coffee and £1.75 for small teapot!!! Couldnt afford a cake.Rip off merchants!20/04/2006 19:05:36
It is located in a beutiful setting ideal for a quick bite before heading down south 30/04/2006 21:13:53
Clean and tidy. Got 3 sausages on a loing baguette with a coffee for £4.99, which for a motorway isnt bad. 04/05/2006 12:22:26
Very clean and friendly the best service station I have ever stopped at always use it now when travelling on M6 19/06/2006 20:15:33
The people that work here are fantastic, especially in the K.F.C!!! 02/09/2006 00:29:29
Fantastic local food, well cooked and a great farm shop, an ENJOYABLE stop. 22/09/2006 17:34:45
Not a nice place to stop unless you like 60s bleak architecture 29/09/2006 12:34:45
i think the staff are treated very badly by the managment at this msa.i have also noticed that at a night time there are many times when a single member of staff left to cope on their own which i think is unacceptable for a company like this 09/10/2006 15:54:29
This is the best motorway services I have stopped at with Britain. Lovely scenery and atmosphere, but food quite expensive. When compared to other services, its worth it just to have a break and walk around. 11/11/2006 12:55:42
Great memories of childhood holidays. I seem to remember that the restaurant was upstairs on the southbound side, with radio control boats in a pool outside. Anyone else remember these? 13/11/2006 12:29:02
Great place to pop in for a Big Mac and is a welcome fuel stop if you need fuel traveling on the M56 as there are few petrol stations on the part of Warrington off the motorway 17/01/2007 18:40:22
I love tebay my girlfriend works there it is a brilliant place to visit to see her!!!!! 18/03/2007 18:32:06
Along with Tebay west, this has possibly the best setting of an MSA in England. Being able to watch ducks and people windsurfing is very relaxing. 18/04/2007 12:07:38
One of the most beautiful MSAs ive ever been too 28/04/2007 16:12:36
‘South Eat In has Friendly, Courteous and Knowledgeable staff with a real can do attitude, Makes taking a break a MOST Welcome Break’ 16/05/2007 17:04:15
The last time I stopped at Forton the tower was still open. Its so frustrating seeing it there empty. When Im PM Ill force it to reopen as a national monument ; ) 27/05/2007 22:37:22
3 of us in our group had a wimpys and it was dreadful. it went straight in the bin hardly touched it was so terrible! 29/05/2007 10:34:35
I have already sent a letter of complaint to you but have not recieved a letter email or anything, my compaint was about the undercooked cold food i recieved and the none covering of the soup pots in the tebay services Mrs Dorothy Price 18/06/2007 19:33:43
Nice hotel very clean with friendly staff. The same goes for the restaurant. Superb 10/07/2007 19:53:50
12/08/2007 20:08:30
Agree its the worst MSA I have been to – went to cafe around 7pm on a Monday – dismal. 23/08/2007 09:41:30
good food maybe at top of price range friendly staff ,good location always make a point of stopping there 25/08/2007 21:01:09
Had Burger King meal on bridge (24/8/07) & saw staff ramming down contents of the bins using his hands while clutching a cloth then cleaning tables with that cloth!!! Obviously poor hygiene & training.26/08/2007 01:49:51
This is certainly the best MSA Ive encountered in the UK. Its friendly, clean, and the food is excellent. The Farmers market shop is worth travelling for alone. 16/09/2007 18:16:43
Like its partner, Tebay west, this is probably the best MSA in the UK. The produce in the farm shop is superb and the cafeteria and service is second to none. 16/09/2007 18:19:32
best in the land 25/11/2007 12:01:38
South side Wimpy burgers are the best with happy friendly staff my whole family love it 27/11/2007 19:38:39
This was my wifes favourite stop off until the last 6 months – cleanliness is now terrible and the people making the posh coffee are worse than trained chimps 30/12/2007 20:38:50
Very clean and efficient; happy to revisit. love the open eating area and choice of food 31/12/2007 20:56:42
nothing good to say about this msa or truckstop 06/04/2008 19:25:24
10/05/2008 18:13:16
Brilliant Site, Brilliant Staff, Brilliant People 10 out of 10 16/05/2008 08:19:44
I vist this msa every weakend during summer months have caravan on attached park the farm shop in superb my only main fault are the toilets seat missing last summer and very slow flushig due to water supply 12/12/2008 10:03:45
probably the best and most scenic in England. Food hall is amazing. 16/12/2008 19:26:08
Consistantly the best MSA to visit in the UK 29/03/2009 23:09:59
clean, friendly staff, excellent facilities for families, locally produced food. 12/04/2009 22:42:42
First visited this facility in 1976, been back at least 4 other time, love it. 12/02/2011 00:44:49
lovely setting good for a relaxing break 05/06/2011 16:01:56
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