Motorists have rated Gloucester Services on the M5 highly, placing it among the best motorway service areas in the UK. The farm shop services, located between junctions 11A and 12 and operated by the Westmorland Family, earned an impressive average of 4.45 stars from a substantial total of 41,924 reviews across both its northbound and southbound sites. This is the highest number of reviews recorded for any service area in the country.
Gloucester Services also topped the latest survey conducted by Which?, confirming its popularity among travellers. The ranking was compiled by family holiday specialists Ski Famille, who analysed Google ratings for 97 motorway service areas nationwide earlier this month, ahead of the October half-term holiday period.
Each site was assessed based on its average rating, calculated from a detailed star breakdown, with any separate listings for northbound and southbound sides combined for accuracy.
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Only Rotherham Services on the M1 and Rugby Services on the M6 received higher Google ratings. Nearby, Severn View Services on the M48 in South Gloucestershire was among the lower-rated locations, ranking third-lowest nationally with a score of 3.60 stars. Bridgwater Services, also on the M5 but further south, received the lowest rating of 3.05 stars.
Alex Dyer, managing director at Ski Famille, commented: “Most families will stop at least once during a long half-term journey, and the difference between a good and poor service station can be just one junction. It pays to research the next couple of stops before setting off instead of relying on wherever you run low on fuel.
“For parents, cleanliness of toilets and space for children to stretch their legs are often more important than a large food court, and the top-rated sites excel in these areas.”
The survey also highlighted the 10 highest- and lowest-rated motorway services across the UK based on Google reviews. In cases where service areas shared the same rating, the precise average was used to determine their ranking. Sites with fewer than 500 reviews and one with its main building currently closed were excluded from the analysis.