Knutsford Services is a motorway service station on the M6 in Cheshire, England.
History
The headquarters of Tarmac for the North Cheshire M6 section was at Over Tabley. Work on the Cheshire motorway section started on 28 June 1961, officially by Sir Wesley Emberton, from junctions 18 to 20.Birmingham Daily Post 29 June 1961, page 10
Construction The contract was awarded to Top Rank on 28 September 1961,Times 29 September 1961, page 20 for 12 acres, with 48 petrol pumps.Cheshire Observer 30 September 1961, page 5Runcorn Guardian 5 October 1961, page 6 It was the second service area awarded to Rank. There would be two 75-seat transport cafes on either side for truckers; one would be open 24hours, the other from 7:00am to midnight. The main catering would be on the bridge, with a 90-seat restaurant, and a 96-seat cafeteria.Runcorn Guardian 12 October 1961, page 12 Truckers' meals would cost 4shillings; the truckers' menu was formed in consultation with the TGWU.Birmingham Daily Post 13 November 1963, page 7 There would be parking for 96 trucks and 300 cars. Work on the restaurant began on 29 September 1962, to open in August 1963.Staffordshire Sentinel 27 September 1962, page 6
Food options at the time included: Cheshire Grill, waitress service, from 7.30am to 10.30pm, with five types of steak, croissant and brioche at breakfast Bridge Buffet, same hours Knutsford cafe, 24-hourRuncorn Guardian 14 November 1963, page 5
Opening The M6 section opened on 15 November 1963 from Hanchurch to Lymm. The motorway section was officially opened at 12:00noon from the Knutsford restaurant, with the Bishop of Chester Gerald Ellison and Sir Wesley Emberton; the motorway opened to drivers at 4:00pm. The bishop prayed "that drivers would exercise courtesy and consideration for others, and that without fear or suffering they might come safely to their journey's end". Also at the Knutsford opening was the "lorry driver of the year", Joe Dakin.Cheshire Observer 22 November 1963, page 13Staffordshire Sentinel 22 November 1963, page 10 The first manager was Sidney Ash.Liverpool Echo 17 February 1964, page 14 The site could provide meals for 373 people at once.Liverpool Post 16 November 1963, page 14
Knutsford was one of the country's first motorway service stations. As with many services of the time, there are two sites located on either side of the carriageway, linked by a bridge which features a restaurant and shop. Coaches of north-west football fans would call in on their journey to London, and on the way back, occasionally requiring extra police.
The services are now owned by Moto.
The service station has a very short exit slip road, close to the A556 exit slip road on the northbound side of the M6. Slow moving vehicles are often forced to pull into the main carriageway at slow speeds. The station played a pivotal role in comedian Rhod Gilbert's special Rhod Gilbert and the Award-Winning Mince Pie.
The Cheshire Police Motorway Unit has one of its bases here, situated on the southbound side.
Incidents In 1965 £2,000 worth of cutlery and crockery was stolen.Birmingham Mail 9 August 1966, page 5
Cheshire Police made many arrests at the service area for organised crime, and became adept at identifying stolen cars by the early 1970s. It had trained its officers how to identify stolen cars at its training centre in Crewe.Times 16 March 1970, page 2
Seventeen year old Aston Villa fan James Townsend, of Cotton Grove in Longbridge, was jailed for six months at Knutsford court, by Sir Lincoln Hallinan, after stabbing another person with a flick-knife on 16 February 1974. Bricks and bottles had been thrown at another coach.Birmingham Daily Post 7 June 1974, page 24Manchester Evening News 7 June 1974, page 11
In May 1974, Liverpool football fans were banned from the service area.Liverpool Echo 4 May 1974, page 1 In the same week, Keele banned Liverpool, Manchester United, and Everton football supporters. On 12 March 1977, 25 year old Robert Smith was stabbed five times, after an argument with a group of Manchester City supporters.Liverpool Echo 12 March 1977, page 1 On 3 October 1981, 200 Wolves fans caused £300 of damage when they rampaged.Manchester Evening News 5 October 1981, page 4
In June 2019, four bikers were stabbed at Knutsford Services, which led to the M6 northbound being closed off for some time between junctions 18 and 19.
Possible redevelopment In 1991 and 1992 there was a proposal to demolish the services, as it is a small 7-acre site, and to build another much-larger 40-acre service area at Cann Lane, mostly on the eastern edge of Aston by Budworth in Arley, Cheshire, and the near the western edges of High Legh and Mere, Cheshire. The original service area would be demolished for part of a new junction and a £55m six-mile spur road, the A556(M). The A556(M) was announced on Monday October 30 1989, developed by consulting engineers Allott and Lomax.Manchester Evening News Monday 30 October 1989, page 5Runcorn Weekly News Thursday 9 November 1989, page 10
On October 27 1992 an extension of this route, to the M62 at Great Woolden Wood, near Holcroft Moss, was announced by project manager Robert Bine, at Lancashire Cricket Club.Manchester Evening News Tuesday 27 October 1992, page 5 It would form the first part of the Greater Manchester Western and Northern Relief Road, from Knutsford to the M66 at Whitefield
The 'Campaign Against Cann Lane Service Area' was formed, which became the Cann Lane Association.Manchester Evening News Wednesday 24 April 1991, page 9 Macclesfield Borough Council did not want the proposal.
Location The service area is in Tabley Superior, near Knutsford, about south of junction 19 of the M6.
References
External links