this is robin hoods well just as you leave the laybuy southbound the one with the ministry whieghbridge got to be carefull chris will see it & thummin &waving his logbook-redhouse is a couple of mile south where the end of donny bypass starts-i remember the cafe went in once with my dad around 56 but its all gone now-i picked up a little booklet about the making of the new road at ferrybridge & they found ancient burial ground complete with chariot of a tribal chief. theres been a road north since before roman times-most towns still have original a1 stamford-grantham-donny-darlington-morpeth alnwick-alan
Chris Webb:
there was a lay-by off the southbound carriageway of the A1 called Robin Hood’s Well,north of the Haven Cafe.I have been known to have dodgy nights out on there.
Hullo Chris,
Where were those dodgies then mate ? In the Haven ? Your Robin Hoods’ Well is still there, as shown in the photo above. But the Haven is long gone, it’s now just a filling station with some sort of a Hotel at the back, where the Parking was.
Cheers, Archie.
Just before the Donny by-pass southbound there’s a biggish house and one of the windows looks like it’s been made from a cartwheel, I noticed it when I was queueing for some roadworks several years ago and always have a quick look when I go past.
Chris Webb:
there was a lay-by off the southbound carriageway of the A1 called Robin Hood’s Well,north of the Haven Cafe.I have been known to have dodgy nights out on there.
Hullo Chris,
Where were those dodgies then mate ? In the Haven ? Your Robin Hoods’ Well is still there, as shown in the photo above. But the Haven is long gone, it’s now just a filling station with some sort of a Hotel at the back, where the Parking was.
Cheers, Archie.
Not in the Haven Archie,in the lay-by that Robin Hood had a well built in. I haven’t been up there for years,is that service area type thingy still open just above Dishforth island,Rainton I think they called it?
Chris Webb:
there was a lay-by off the southbound carriageway of the A1 called Robin Hood’s Well,north of the Haven Cafe.I have been known to have dodgy nights out on there.
Hullo Chris,
Where were those dodgies then mate ? In the Haven ? Your Robin Hoods’ Well is still there, as shown in the photo above. But the Haven is long gone, it’s now just a filling station with some sort of a Hotel at the back, where the Parking was.
Cheers, Archie.
Not in the Haven Archie,in the lay-by that Robin Hood had a well built in. I haven’t been up there for years,is that service area type thingy still open just above Dishforth island,Rainton I think they called it?
What Island at Dishforth and I think you mean the windmill
cheers Johnnie
P S I can remember going through Grantham and Stamford but I might have been still at school
revman:
this is robin hoods well just as you leave the laybuy southbound the one with the ministry whieghbridge got to be carefull chris will see it & thummin &waving his logbook-redhouse is a couple of mile south where the end of donny bypass starts-i remember the cafe went in once with my dad around 56 but its all gone now-i picked up a little booklet about the making of the new road at ferrybridge & they found ancient burial ground complete with chariot of a tribal chief. theres been a road north since before roman times-most towns still have original a1 stamford-grantham-donny-darlington-morpeth alnwick-alan
Thanks for the picture Alan,I remember the lay-by very well (excuse the pun).I remember the old A1 going through Stamford,Grantham and Newark.The old Tony’s cafe was on the old A1 south of Grantham and at Newark the old northbound A1 was three lanes just after the level crossing,lane in the middle was every man for himself. Another good place for a dodgy was Wetherby,the lorry park was right next to the roundabout which I suppose has gone now? Even earlier than this I recall going through Biggleswade when a passenger in a Lincolnshire produce motor going to Spitalfields,would have been 1957/58 time.I also recall having to use the A167 through Chester-le-Street in the late 60s,I suppose the A1 was being upgraded,can’t remember as usual.
Chris Webb:
there was a lay-by off the southbound carriageway of the A1 called Robin Hood’s Well,north of the Haven Cafe.I have been known to have dodgy nights out on there.
Hullo Chris,
Where were those dodgies then mate ? In the Haven ? Your Robin Hoods’ Well is still there, as shown in the photo above. But the Haven is long gone, it’s now just a filling station with some sort of a Hotel at the back, where the Parking was.
Cheers, Archie.
Not in the Haven Archie,in the lay-by that Robin Hood had a well built in. I haven’t been up there for years,is that service area type thingy still open just above Dishforth island,Rainton I think they called it?
What Island at Dishforth and I think you mean the windmill
cheers Johnnie
P S I can remember going through Grantham and Stamford but I might have been still at school
Well.a long,long,long time ago there was a roundabout at Dishforth,turn right on the A168 for Thirsk,don’t tell me tha doesn’t remember it,you are nearly as old as me.Aye,the Windmill was the place I was thinking of,and if you can recall going through Grantham and Stamford then you will have gone through Newark as well.At the speed Pickfords went through,cluttering the place up, you could have walked through faster.
By the way,the old Tony’s cafe was where “Cockney Jack” Nathan got the wax treatment,will say no more.
Just before the Donny by-pass southbound there’s a biggish house and one of the windows looks like it’s been made from a cartwheel, I noticed it when I was queueing for some roadworks several years ago and always have a quick look when I go past.
Aye I’ve noticed that too, on the left southbound, set back a bit.
Chris Webb:
There was a lay-by off the southbound carriageway of the A1 called Robin Hood’s Well,north of the Haven Cafe.I have been known to have dodgy nights out on there.
Hullo Chris,
As you come off of the Donny byepass going North, you go up the hill past your house with the cartwheel on the right, then almost on top of the hill on the left is a Texaco filling station, with a sort of Motel at the back of it. That was the Haven Cafe.
Cheers, Archie.
I remember a roundabout with a wall and gates in front ,the A1 beared to the right at this point, i think this could have been at thorp arch could someone confirm please,and any photos of this roundabout would be great rgds trev
TREV:
I remember a roundabout with a wall and gates in front ,the A1 beared to the right at this point, i think this could have been at thorp arch could someone confirm please,and any photos of this roundabout would be great rgds trev
Trev,you turned right at the roundabout at Wetherby going north,I can’t recall a wall or gate there though,if you went straight on it took you into the town and if you turned left you were heading for Leeds through Collingham,they stuck a weight limit on that road in the 70s.Then the next roundabout was at Dishforth,there was a slip road into Thorpe Arch Industrial Estate IIRC to the right just above Wetherby.
I stand corrected on all of this though.
There is a wall and gate there, it was almost right in front of you as you turned right at the roundabout. It was a gatehouse to the Wetherby Grange estate, theres another one the same actually on the roundabout at the Tadcaster split (A659). It ended up there when the roads were realigned.
Hullo Chris,
As you come off of the Donny byepass going North, you go up the hill past your house with the cartwheel on the right, then almost on top of the hill on the left is a Texaco filling station, with a sort of Motel at the back of it. That was the Haven Cafe.
Cheers, Archie.
Hullo Chris,
As you come off of the Donny byepass going North, you go up the hill past your house with the cartwheel on the right, then almost on top of the hill on the left is a Texaco filling station, with a sort of Motel at the back of it. That was the Haven Cafe.
Cheers, Archie.
What a dump it was too.
Correct Haddy.It could have made a great place for snap and overnighters but I thought it was a dump,too near home for me to stay over but they couldn’t even pour a decent brew.I’m going back to the early 70s,only good thing it was ok for a dodgy.
animal:
Yep that as well the single carriage way all the way & going through Stantington
We used to changeover at Stannington,all night garage on the right going north.We tried changing over in Morpeth town at night until one Scottish trunker was late and our driver fell asleep,waking up to being surrounded by market stalls being erected for the Bank Holiday.
Belford brings back memories,I remember one of our Newbridge trunkers going up there and he missed a gear in a crap Scania 81,the trailer load locks came adrift and a couple of belts snapped,and about 15 cages of tinned meat smashed the roller shutter,flattened the tail lift and spewed out onto the A1.Could have been worse though,could have been booze. The tins were square so they didn’t roll too far though.
Another good place for a dodgy was Wetherby,the lorry park was right next to the roundabout which I suppose has gone now? Even earlier than this I recall going through Biggleswade when a passenger in a Lincolnshire produce motor going to Spitalfields,would have been 1957/58 time.I also recall having to use the A167 through Chester-le-Street in the late 60s,I suppose the A1 was being upgraded,can’t remember as usual. 
