Stops on the A1
Assuming you are travelling by car from the London airports to Scrooby via the A1, you will probably need to stop for food, drink and rest. Ignore the motorway service stations, they often serve really bad food at really inflated prices, and give you no impression of the place you are passing through.
Instead, you should try to get off the motorway, and visit a pub, restaurant or cafe in a nearby town or village. See a bit of real life! There are hundreds of possible stops, but we recommend the following as being well worth the few extra miles.
The Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester
The Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire
20 miles from the A1 and really close to the M11 is the Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester. This is a historic and beautiful fruit orchard on the banks of the River Cam, which has been a tea garden and pavilion since Edwardian times. See orchard-grantchester.com.
The George, Stamford
The George, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Known to some as 'the best motorway service stop in the world', Stamford is a beautiful stone-built town, with churches, river, bridges, town meadows and great hotels, pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops. Go up market at the George Hotel if you can. See georgehotelofstamford.com.
Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire
Colston Bassett is a lovely village which boasts three attractions. The village lies 15 miles to the west of the A1 but is well worth the trip.
Colston Bassett Dairy, Colston Bassett
Colston Bassett Dairy, Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire
Colston Bassett Dairy makes and sells the finest quality blue Stilton cheese. See colstonbassettdairy.com.
The Martins Arms, Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire
The Martins Arms is one of the best pubs in Nottinghamshire for food, beer, atmosphere, setting, and staff!
Their contact details are: The Martins Arms, School Lane, Colston Bassett, Nottingham, NG12, tel 01949 81361
Colston Bassett Store, Colston Bassett
Colston Bassett Store, Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire
Colston Bassett Store is a traditional village shop, a high-end deli and a cafe. See colstonbassettstore.com.
Cafe Bleu, Newark, Nottinghamshire
Newark is an interesting town, with a market, castle, churches and river. There are plenty of cafes and pubs, but Cafe Bleu stands out as a very good restaurant. See cafebleu.co.uk.
Caunton Beck, Caunton
Caunton Beck, Caunton, Nottinghamshire
Caunton Beck is pub in the Wig and Mitre family. The pub serves really good beer and wine, and really good food. Its only a few miles from the A1. See wigandmitre.com.