Keele

Keele
Welcome Break
18 more photos in the gallery
Road:	M6 between J15 and J16
Address:	Trusthouse Forte Welcome Break Keele Motorway Services Area Three Mile Lane Keele Newcastle Staffordshire ST5 5HG
Telephone number:	01782 626221
Signposted from the road?	Yes
Opened:	1963
Previous operators:	Motorway Services Ltd, Trusthouse Forte
Grid reference:	SJ806440
Services type:	Single site built upon the motorway.
Visit Keele/Welcome Break's official website

One of the oldest services, Welcome Break have refurbished Keele many times. The fast food is located on the bridge.

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Facilities

General: BT Openzone, Traffic Information, Welcome Break Gaming, Showers
Restaurants: Burger King, Starbucks, Eat In, KFC
Shops: WH Smith, Fonebitz
Fuel: Shell (pump types unknown)
Motel: none

Parking Prices

First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £8 and caravans, coaches and HGVs £20. These prices include a £2/£7 food voucher respectively.

Prices can be paid in the shop and restaurant, with instructions in each car park. They are strictly enforced by ParkingEye.

Trivia

Keele in the 1970s

Keele was among the first services to be built. It has no motel but it's thought that one may have been sited here previously.

Welcome Break recently completed a major refurbishment scheme for the services which included a new WH Smith store, after a member of Newcastle-under-Lyme's council suggested that the services looked tired and in need of a facelift.

As you approach the services southbound, there is a sign in the central reservation for the services. It's thought that this is original to the opening of this bit of the M6, and Keele is the only services to still have one of these.

During the early '80s there was a fire on the bridge at the services which led to the motorway below being closed for several days. This is one of the reasons why today the Highways Agency are reluctant to allow bridges across motorway services. In 2003 there was another fire in the car park which destroyed part of the northbound carriageway.

Survey Results

In 2008 the services won a five star loo award.

In 2006 and again in 2007, the services won a five-star loo award. The petrol station was rated four-star.

Also in 2006, the services were rated 2/5 by Holiday Which?

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: lala Someone stole my banking info and used it here!!! Beware...beware. Not safe. Posted: 06 Mar 2010, 00:26 william kennery on Wednesday nov 5 i parked in the designated lorry bay as did two other lorries on either side of me, the space left to exit our cabs was very tight indeed you could not open either side door to get out .in an emergency you would stand little chance of getting out. on the northbound side the parking is very good. is this a money grabing opertunity to get more & more trucks into a smaller space Posted: 06 Nov 2008, 21:53 ALLAN JONES */*/ HAVING PARKED MY LORRY JUST TO NIP TO TOILET I AND 4 MORE WAGONS WERE CLAMPED AND HAD TO PAY £300 TO GET CLAMPS OFF THIS WAS TWO WEEKS BEFORE XMAS WICH TO ME WAS A WEEKS WAGES THERE WERE NO SIGNS UP WARNING YOU ONLY ONE IGNORANT SECURITY MAN SURELY THIS IS NOT RIGHT AND AT THIS PRICE THE GOVERMENT SHOULD LOOK INTO IT AND CHECK OUT THE CLAMPING FIRM ANC OF LONDON Posted: 04 Jan 2008, 00:20 CATH STEWART ON SUNDAY NIGHT 22/10/06 MY HUSBAND AND I STOPPED AT THESE SERVICES AFTER HAVING TRAVELED FROM WALES THROUGH TRAFIC JAMS AND HORRIFIC WEATfHER. WE LOOKED INTO THE RESTERAUNFT AS WE WERE DESPERATE FOR SOMTHING TO EAT AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS FOOD THAT LOOKED AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN IN THE TRAYS FOR WEEKS ALL DRIED UP AND NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST BIT APETIZING,THAT WAS THE MEALS,THE SWEETS WERE ON PLATES UNCOVERED AND EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS ALSO DRIED UP AND FOR ALL WE KNEW HAD BEEN HANDLED BY SEVERAL CUSTOMERS BEFORE US. IT COST ME £14.9? FOR A MEAL THAT I WOULD RATHER FORGET THAT I ATE,BUT WE WERE DESPERATE AND VERY HUNGRY. THAT STAFF ALSO HAD A LOT TO BE DESIRED SLOVENLY AND DISINTERESTED ALL THE TABLES WERE COVERED IN DIRTY PLATES AND CUPS ETC AND IN NEED OF A GOOD CLEAN WE COULD HARDLY SEE A CLEAR TABLE ALSO THA SMOKING AREA HAD BEEN CLOSED OFF SO IF WE HAD WANTED A SMOKE WE WERE OUT OF LUCK. THIS USED TO BE A SERVICES THAT WAS A PLEASURE TO GO INTO AND COULD ENJOY A GOOD MEAL AND GET THE SERVICES EXPECTED. I HAVE WORKED IN THE CATERING BUSSINESS FOR MANY YEARS TILL I RETIRED AND HAVE A DOUGHTER WHO IS A GENERAL MANAGER IN A CATERING FACILITY WHO I AM SURE WOULD HAVE REPORTED THIS TO A MUCH HIGHER AUTHORITY HAD SHE BEEN THERE. NEEDLESS TO SAY BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I HAD UPSET STOMACHES NEXT DAY AND ARE STILL TENDER YET. I NOW WISH I HAD TAKEN PHOTOES WITH MY CAMERA SO AS I COULD SHOW THEM TO THE WORLD BUT I DIDNT,HOPEFULY THIS LETTER WILL CAUSE SOME BIG IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS SITE AND WHEN THEY HAVE I WILL BE DELIGHTED TO USE THEM AGAIN. Posted: 27 Oct 2006, 15:45 chatterbox I don't like this MSA, it's old and looks it. I like the idea of the bridge though. Posted: 12 Nov 2005, 17:18 Admin Post your comments and reviews for Keele here, or you can return to Keele. Posted: 07 Nov 2005, 18:23
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.

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With thanks to Trevor Wilson and Samuel Goddson for the information used on this page.