For Rich Cross, a motorway service station is more than a place to stretch your legs or buy overpriced coffee. It is a snapshot of Britain’s transport history, food culture and changing travel habits — and, in his view, a destination in its own right.
Cross, who runs the social media account The Services King, has now visited every one of the UK’s 97 motorway service stations. He first reached that milestone in 2019, but his work is far from finished. He continues to revisit the sites, check their facilities, photograph changes and share updates with an audience that includes drivers, travellers and members of the transport industry.
From a family atlas to a career on the move
Cross’s enthusiasm began long before it became his profession. As a 10-year-old in the mid-2000s, he spent summer holidays travelling in the cab of his father, a lorry driver. Journeys could last around 10 hours, but while his father regarded rest stops as an interruption, Cross saw them as the best part of the trip.
He would follow the AA Road Atlas, watching the map for the service stations they were about to reach. Depending on the route, the family might stop two or three times, and Cross hoped at least one meal would be served at Little Chef. His ideal stop involved an Olympic Breakfast — a substantial full English — followed by a lollipop.
By the time he was 14, in 2012, his interest had developed into a serious hobby. He discovered motorwayservices.uk, a website reviewing major service stations, and began contributing photographs and information whenever his family stopped. Each visit became part of a growing personal archive.
After passing his driving test at 17, Cross bought a two-door Smart car, which he still drives today. Living near Bristol, he made regular trips to service stations close to home. He later worked as a bus driver, but the job did not leave enough time for his favourite part of motoring.
He eventually left the bus company and began publishing more detailed reviews on motorwayservices.uk and his own social media channels under the name The Services King. The hobby became a full-time occupation. Cross now writes for industry publications, produces sponsored social media content and travels away from home four days a week.
He can visit as many as five service stations in a day, although he does not always stop for food or drink. His visits are part inspection, part research: he notes what has changed, records the facilities and takes photographs that help other drivers decide where to pause.
Reading a service station like a place
Cross is interested in more than coffee quality and parking conditions. Service stations reveal how Britain’s road network has expanded and how travellers’ expectations have evolved. They also show how food trends have moved from simple roadside meals towards restaurants, farm shops, gardens and wider leisure facilities.
“In my view, the services are the destination, not just part of the journey.”
He believes a memorable station often has character. Landmarks and unusual architecture can give a stop a sense of identity. The Pennine Tower at Lancaster services on the M6 is one example, while a bridge where visitors can sit and watch traffic pass beneath them offers a memorable setting for a coffee.
Outdoor spaces have also become increasingly important. Rugby services on the M6, for instance, has gardens and a fountain. Cross also values convenience: a station reached directly from the motorway is generally preferable to one requiring a journey through junctions and roundabouts.
His most popular posts tend to cover new openings. Followers from many different backgrounds share his interest, although Cross says industry professionals make up a particularly engaged part of his audience.
When people ask for his favourite service station, his answer is unexpectedly difficult. He has no single champion, but he particularly likes places with proper seating and a genuine restaurant where travellers can settle down. Independently owned Tebay on the M6 and Gloucester on the M5 rank highly because they offer farm shops and a more substantial dining experience than many chain-filled sites.
The ordinary places that connect Britain
Not everyone understands why Cross devotes so much time to places many drivers treat as functional backdrops. His father still struggles with the obsession, while strangers often find the job surprising enough to start a conversation.
That reaction confirms what Cross has long believed: service stations belong to everyone. They sit somewhere between private motorways and public life, serving commuters, lorry drivers, families, tourists and travellers from every background.
“I think of them as one of life’s great levellers.”
Cross easily covers 25,000 miles in a year. Even when he takes a holiday in the UK, he cannot escape the familiar sight of a service station — and he has no wish to. To him, these roadside hubs remain among the most interesting parts of any journey.
Why it Matters
Motorway service stations are among Britain’s most widely shared public spaces, yet they are rarely treated as culturally significant. Cross’s work shows how these sites reflect wider changes in mobility, hospitality and national life. For drivers, they provide practical information; for the industry, they record shifting expectations; and for everyone else, they offer a common meeting point where class, region and background momentarily disappear. That is why a lollipop, a full English or a place to watch the traffic can tell a surprisingly big story.
