Clacket Lane

Clacket Lane
RoadChef
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Road:	M25 between J5 and J6
Address:	Roadchef Motorways Ltd Motorway Service Area M25 Westbound Clacket Lane Westerham Surrey TN16 2ER
Telephone number:	01959 565577
Signposted from the road?	Yes
Opened:	1993
Previous names:	Titsey Woods
Grid reference:	TQ423545
Services type:	Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them.
Visit Clacket Lane/RoadChef's official website

Clacket Lane consists of two large services on the M25 and they're a popular stopping point for coaches and lorries.

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Facilities

General: BT Openzone, Children's Play Area, Traffic Information
Restaurants: RestBite, Wimpy, Costa Coffee
Shops: WH Smith, Fonebitz
Fuel: Total (pump types unknown)
Motel: Premier Inn^{[book rooms]}

Parking Prices

First two hours free for all vehicles, after which HGVs must pay £24, or £28 to include a £10 food voucher.

Further information is not available, please update this if you know.

Trivia

Until the opening of Folkestone services, Clacket Lane westbound was often said to be the largest services in the country. At one point it also had the most expensive fuel!

They are said to be on the northern edge of the North Downs, and as you head westwards they are the start of a long section of the M25 which has no services.

The original planning application for the services had them down as 'Titsey Woods', but this was changed for no known reason (although it's often claimed that RoadChef feared that no-one would take the name 'Titsey services' seriously), so they went for Clacket Lane instead - which appears to be a last minute-decision to name it after the road which provides the emergency exits.

In each amenity building there is a large cabinet titled 'The History of Titsey Woods', which has several Roman artefacts which were discovered whilst the services were constructed.

For a long time the services have had a problem with lorries parking on the hard shoulder to access the services. There are now bilingual 'no parking' signs on the exit from the services on each side.

As RoadChef expanded the site, the sliproads became incredibly short so they were eventually extended to improve safety, leaving four very clear 'ghost exits' on the carriageway. It also explains why the access roads through the services appear to head for the motorway and then curve away from it. Before the services were built, another site was proposed a few miles east at Chevening, but the plans were changed as the M25 was moved.

The services sit right next to the Kent-Surrey border, causing confusion as the nearest postal town (Westerham) is in Kent, but the services aren't. Therefore, although "Westerham, Surrey" is usually wrong, when talking about the services it's right.

Survey Results

Lord Adonis (Secretary of State for Transport) said he was "very impressed" by the services when he made a surprise visit in September 2009, saying it was clean and provided a good meal.

The services were inspected by the AA on the 24th and 25th of March 2007. These are their results:

The services were said to be well supervised with a good range of items in the shop and restaurant. The food wasn't tasty though, it had no picnic benches or indoor play area, it was very expensive and it was described as dirty, with the fold-away baby changing tables being described as "hazardous to health".

The services were also inspected by the AA on the 3rd and 4th of April 2004. These are their results:

In this test, the services were said to be well prepared and tasty. Again, the variety of stock in the shop was brought up, but again the services were described as "extremely dirty". The shop was expensive and the staff were unfriendly, too.

Alternatives

Comments and Reviews

Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.
Author: Message: anonymous33 Avoid clacket lane at all cost if possible. The new director is a arrogant person thinking like a kid he cannot take anything negative " take it or leave it we do not not forced you to stop neither we do ask you to purchase we are providing these services at the minimal possible cost in the customers advantage" Thanks I can spend my money elsewhere Posted: 10 Jul 2010, 08:31 Anonymous The westbound services are poorly designed, the HGV parking is noisy due to being so close to the carriageway with no decent shield for the noise. The exit for HGV's is very poorly designed, RHD trucks are expected to give way to cars coming from the blind side causing many near misses. As for the cost to park overnight, they should of named these services after Dick Turpin, They're the most expensive services I have the misfortune to have to use occasionally. Eastbound are better designed as far as truckers are concerned however obviously the high prices still apply. Posted: 25 May 2010, 16:43 Dafyn Within the space of 2 months I wrote off 2 vehicles in the same place, Clacket Lane, East Bound. Just as you come off the motorway, foreign lorries attempting to leave the site can't see you and come straight out, the result is that 40tonne Scania, versus Astra Estate equals call an ambulance quick. I only wanted a wee!! Posted: 27 Mar 2006, 15:51 Admin Post your comments and reviews on Clacket Lane here, or you can return to Clacket Lane. Posted: 18 Aug 2005, 17:29
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AA survey results from the Automobile Association, you can view the full report and what they were looking for in this this PDF document for the 2007 test, or this one for the 2004 results..