| Birch | |
| Moto | |
 | |
| Road: | M62 between J18 and J19 |
| Address: | Heywood, Lancashire, OL10 2HQ |
| Telephone number: | 0161 643 0911 |
| Signposted from the road? | As Burger King/Costa/M&S |
| Opened: | 1972 |
| Previous operators: | Taverna, Granada |
| Previous names: | Manchester North |
| Grid reference: | SD847079 |
| Services type: | Two sites located between junctions, connected by an external footbridge. |
| Visit Birch Westbound/Moto's official website Visit Birch Eastbound/Moto's official website Facebook Page | |
Two different services close to Manchester on the busy M62 - the eastbound services are quite old and small whereas the westbound side has since been fully rebuilt and is now much more modern.
Contents |
Facilities
General: Moto Meetings (eastbound only), Local Information, Showers, Moto Free WiFi, Traffic Information
Restaurants: Eat & Drink Co. (westbound only), Burger King, Costa, Greggs (eastbound only), Ernie's Fish and Chips
Shops: WHSmith (with Costa Express Krispy Kreme), M&S Simply Food (westbound only), Ladbrokes (eastbound only), Fone Bitz (eastbound only)
Fuel: BP (with: Costa Express air1 AdBlue)
Motel: Travelodge[book rooms: west east]
Parking Prices
First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £11 and HGVs £18.50, or £20 to include a £9 food voucher.
Prices are paid using PayByPhone - more details. The location code is 2427 (westbound) and 2426 (eastbound).
The fees are strictly enforced by CP Plus.
Trivia
The parking prices used to have an unusual (and rather expensive) tier system, but it has now been reverted back to the standard 2-or-24 hours system.
In September 1975 there was a clash between Leeds United and Chelsea fans who stopped on either side of the road and met on the bridge. This resulted in smashed windows, uprooted trees and a total of £3,000 worth of damage.
Westbound Reconstruction
The westbound amenity building was destroyed in a massive fire on the 9th October 2003. After losing large sums of cash in a slot machine, Jason New started kicking it to get his money back. He then went to the shop and bought a lighter, promptly setting fire to the machine. By 1am, the whole westbound side of the services were alight and evacuated. It took 70 fire-fighters four hours to bring the blaze under control.
Whilst the site was being rebuilt, temporary facilities were provided. The petrol station, motel and eastbound services were not affected but were evacuated for safety reasons.
The new services cater for 242 cars, 120 lorries and 30 coaches. When it was opened, Moto described the new building as being "the most modern on the motorway network".
Eastbound Work
Granada extended the front of the eastbound services by adding a series of shops for customers to pass on the way in. A second entrance, leading straight to the toilets, has been rendered inaccessible (or not commercially viable) and closed.
In November 2011, the front of the services was damaged in another serious fire.
Survey Results
In May 2012 and August 2011, Visit England rated the services as 3 stars.
In 2006 the westbound services won a four star loo award and the eastbound five stars.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Burtonwood (20 miles) Rivington (M61, 13 miles) Lymm (M6 south, 23 miles) | Services on the M62 | Hartshead Moor (22 miles) |
| Lancaster (M6 north, 40 miles) | Moto services |
Ferrybridge (43 miles) Woolley Edge (M1 south, 42 miles) |
With thanks to the user 'Ziathon' for the information used on this page.