Eddie Stobart Appleton Thorn Depot

[Smart Mart]

Hi all,

I realise, being PH and being an adult, that I'm up to being ridiculed endlessly here but...

Is there anywhere around the Appleton Thorn depot that you can sit and spot the lorries coming in and out? I'm up that way for football this weekend and bringing the kids who are avid Eddie spotters (233 and counting!!). Also, how close are you allowed to get to the cabs?

I've looked on the Club Stobart website and it just seems to mention Carlisle and Crick as "proper depots" with spotting facilities.

Thanks in advance and go easy on me!

[pacman1]

Now let me see if I have everything...

Sandwiches. Thermos. Corn plasters..

Yep, all there.

[T84]

Are you going to have some "Weak lemon drink" whilst watching?

[Smart Mart]

Pah, never underestimate the PH faithful, folks. Two replies within just a few minutes but alas....

It's for my kids, they're only ten. Won't someone think of the children??

[JQ]

Yes. There is a large grassed area to the front of the Depot. It's used as a heli-pad for the Stobart directors. There's no parking there unless you want to be really cheeky and park in their car park. Depending on how long you want to be there I guess you could park elsewhere on the estate and take a rug / chairs and sit there for an hour or 2.

Hope that helps.

[sider]

What about the one at Chelford? I think it's Chelford anyway - went past there last week. Think it's the old James Irlam depot. To me, it's near Congleton. But to a Cheshire person, i think it's Chelford.

[Smart Mart]

Is that the one bu junction 15 of the M6? If so, thanks for the tip, I'd forgotten about that one.

JQ - thanks for the info.

[sider]

Aye, get yourself parked outside the village shop here and get your (kids) notebook out!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=chelford&hl=en...

[sider]

Chelford is Knutsford way, so prob not J15.

J15 is Stoke i think.

I once had to rent some land on Kingstown ind estate in Carlisle, Eddie Stobart central up there. Or at least it was back in 2002 when Eddie Stobart was still properly Cumbrian.

[LooneyTunes]

sider said:

Aye, get yourself parked outside the village shop here and get your (kids) notebook out!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=chelford&hl=en...

And while you're there, don't forget to visit AJ Boon (top notch sausage rolls). If there's a better butcher in Cheshire, I have yet to find them... queued out the door on weekends.

(J18 or 19 to get to Chelford)

[sider]

LooneyTunes said:

And while you're there, don't forget to visit AJ Boon (top notch sausage rolls). If there's a better butcher in Cheshire, I have yet to find them... queued out the door on weekends.

(J18 or 19 to get to Chelford)

Sausage rolls and truck-spotting!

[bromers2]

There's a depot in Hawley Lane, Warrington - bit more central to Warrington than Appleton.

Shopping centre nearby.

[bromers2]

Smart Mart said:

Hi all,

I realise, being PH and being an adult, that I'm up to being ridiculed endlessly here but...

Is there anywhere around the Appleton Thorn depot that you can sit and spot the lorries coming in and out? I'm up that way for football this weekend and bringing the kids who are avid Eddie spotters (233 and counting!!). Also, how close are you allowed to get to the cabs?

I've looked on the Club Stobart website and it just seems to mention Carlisle and Crick as "proper depots" with spotting facilities.

Thanks in advance and go easy on me!

They'll all be heading towards the motorway so you could park up on Grappenhall Lane (roundabout) and watch them from there.

[EvoBarry]

Chelford Depot is off the main drag through Chelford, ten mins outside Knutsford on A537. FYI. I go past it twice a day on my way to work.

I think there is even a bench opposite the depot exit, near the butchers

[Smart Mart]

Great suggestions guys. We're actually staying near Northwich so not far from all of these places....

[Smart Mart]

Not that I think anyone is REALLY bothered but ended up visiting four depots in the end.

[geek mode]

First up was the former James Irlam site just off junction 15 of the M6 where the staff let us get fairly close to the yard and we got around thirty there.

Next it was off to Appleton Thorn near Warrington where it was easier than we thought to get close to them. Stick on a high-vis jacket and the staff are happy to let you near the lorries and take pics so added another 60-odd here.

Next day, we headed off to Widnes and the huge Tesco distribution depot where you can just about get close enough to see names and numbers from across the other side of a large ditch. Loads going on here and caught another hundred or so here before returning across the road and getting 30+ at the Stobart depot by the bridge.

Add another 40 or 50 lorries on the motorway, take away a few duplicates and we ended up with 220 new ones, doubling our previous tally and lifting us 500 places in the league table!

[/geek mode]