British Motorway Service Areas Quiz

Answer: Department of Transport

Initially, the DoT owned almost all of Britain's Motorway Service Areas, with the sites being let on 50-year leases to private operating companies. However, these were gradually sold off to private companies, and by 2016 only around 20 remained in the hands of the Government.

Answer: Four

There are four Service Areas on the M25, two north of the River Thames and two south;

Clackett Lane between junctions 5 and 6 (south);
Cobham between junctions 9 and 10 (south);
South Mimms at junction 23 (north);
Thurrock at junction 30, (north);

Answer: Trusthouse Forte

The vast majority of motorway services in the UK are owned by one of three companies: Moto, Welcome Break and Roadchef. Smaller operators include Extra, Westmorland and EuroGarages.

Answer: All of these

It is under the terms of the lease from the Department of Transport that all the above services must be supplied to the visiting public.

Unlike other countries it is these companies that must finance the construction and cost of entry and exit routes to the sites.

Answer: Watford Gap (M1)

Watford Gap is in Northamptonshire, and the name refers to a small village of that name, rather then the larger town just north of London. It was opened in 1959 but did not supply full catering facilities until 1960. It was then operated under licence by "Blue Boar".

It was these services that prompted the phrase "north of Watford Gap" used by Londoners to denote (not entirely tongue in cheek), the mysterious places and people alien to them that exist in the "north" of England.

Answer: Hartshead Moor

The M62 Motorway in northern England should not be confused with the M62 globular cluster which can be found 19,500 light years away and just eight degrees SEE of Antares.

This trans-Pennine route links Liverpool with Hull, although a section of it has been renamed as the M60 where it circumnavigates Manchester.

Answer: Sedgemoor

James Scott was the Duke of Monmouth with ideas above his station of taking the English crown. His troops of 3,000 peasants quickly retired from an attempt to take Bristol when the king's troops had the audacity to return fire.

Despite this he attempted a night time attack on the king's troops at the site of Brussex Farm at the village of Westonzoyland on Sedgemoor. This too back-fired when one of his own soldiers accidentally let off a musket when still a mile distant. His troops fled and he vanished rather rapidly too.

He was found in hiding at Ringwood, Hampshire. He was taken to the Tower of London where after the formality of a trial he was sentenced to be beheaded by axe. Typical for this man that didn't go too smoothly either and it took several blows before head was severed from body.

Answer: Kinross

The pretty town of Kinross didn't grow to be as large as might have been expected as one by one the railway links to it disappeared leaving the town somewhat isolated. The M90 which was constructed between 1968 and 1978 has improved communication and the volume of tourist visitors to the town.

Nearby Loch Leven castle is an attractive 13th century castle located on an island in the lake. It was the site of several battles between the Scots and the English and was occasionally used as a prison. The most renowned prisoner was Mary Queen of Scots in 1567.It was there that she was forced to sign an abdication of the crown in favour of her son James I. James became King of Scotland, and later England too, albeit initially under regency until he attained maturity.

Answer: Donington Park

Donington Park, close to Castle Donington, was opened in 1931, initially for motorcycle racing. It was closed in 1939 due to the war and was used as a military vehicle depot.

In 1970 it was purchased and re-opened as a racing circuit and rock concert venue.

The Donington Grand Prix collection is the world's largest collection of Grand Prix cars.

Answer: Templepatrick

There are six motorways in Northern Ireland; M1, M2, M3, M5, M12 and M22. These were all built between 1962 and 1975 when funding for motorway construction was diverted to security related services on account of the sectarian "troubles".

Even the longest motorway (the M1 between Belfast and Dungannon) is only 38 miles long, and for many years it wasn't felt that they were long enough to justify the expense of a Motorway Service Area. However, in 2015 the Templepatrick Services opened between Junctions 4 and 5 of the M2 (northbound only). The following year (2016), a similar facility opened at Lisburn on the M1, between Junctions 3 and 4.