Keele services

{{Short description|Motorway service station in Staffordshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} {{Use British English|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox Motorway Services |image = Keele Services.jpg |image_caption = The main building. |name = Keele Services |road = M6 |county = Staffordshire |operator = Welcome Break |previousoperator = |previousnames = |dateopened = 15 November 1963{{cn|date=July 2024}}

|website = {{URL|https://welcomebreak.co.uk/locations/keele/}} |location_map = Staffordshire#United Kingdom motorways |map_caption = Location in Staffordshire, England##Location on the UK motorway network |coordinates = {{coord|52.9939|-2.2905|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}} }} '''Keele services''' is a motorway service station, between junctions 15 and 16 of the M6 motorway near Keele in Staffordshire, England. Operated by Welcome Break, it was built in 1963 and was designed by Terence Verity of Verity Associates.

Both sides of the site have Welcome Break{{cn|date=July 2024}} petrol stations, W H Smith and Starbucks. There are KFC and Burger King restaurants on the bridge over the motorway.

==History== Keele was an exact copy of Charnock Richard;<ref>''Birmingham Mail'' 13 November 1963, page 10</ref> The motorway section was expected to be built by autumn 1962. In February 1961, there was planned to be a transport cafe on both sides, with a cafeteria on at least one side, to be {{convert|14|acre}}. Keele was to be the first services on the section; Knutsford opened the same day. 17,000 vehicles a day were expected on the motorway section, with 9,000 private cars, and 8,000 trucks and coaches.<ref>''Staffordshire Sentinel'' 14 February 1961, page 7</ref>

The £500,000 contract was given to Laing, who started construction in April 1962. The site was {{convert|16|acre}}.<ref>[https://www.macearchive.org/films/midlands-news-19031963-keele-services Construction report in March 1963]</ref>

The restaurant bridge was forty feet wide, with waitress service, seating 300. On either side there were self-service transport cafes which each seated 72. Each side had a snack bar with waitress service, each seating 100.<ref>''Liverpool Post'' 16 November 1963, page 14</ref> Each side had room for 240 cars and 70 trucks.<ref>''Staffordshire Sentinel'' 13 November 1963, page 5</ref>

In early May 1974, Keele banned Liverpool, Manchester United, and Everton football fans.<ref>''Liverpool Echo'' 7 May 1974, page 1</ref>

On 27 August 1984, a fire ripped through the service station bridge at Keele, between its two bases, but there were no injuries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/days/1976-2000/1984.html|title = Those were the days}}</ref> There was a plan for a hotel to be built here but this never happened.

thumb|Keele services in 1996 thumb|Bridge Restaurant

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|https://welcomebreak.co.uk/locations/keele/}} {{Motorway service station succession box | road = M6 motorway | labels = s-n | before = Stafford | after = Sandbach }}

Category:1963 establishments in England Category:Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Category:M6 motorway service stations Category:Transport in Staffordshire Category:Transport infrastructure completed in 1963 Category:Welcome Break motorway service stations