The Kentford North branch was a former Little Chef restaurant located on the eastbound side of the A14 near Newmarket, Suffolk.
Address and Onsite Facilities[]
ADDRESS: A14 Eastbound, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 7PZ
ONSITE FACILITIES: None
History[]
Opening around 1977, Kentford North was built as one half of a dual sided Little Chef site on the A45 Kentford Bypass with Kentford South on the westbound side making up the other half. The restaurants replaced the original Kentford branch, located on the old A45 (now B1506), which closed by 1976 after it was bypassed by the new A45. Both restaurants were built alongside filling stations and were housed inside of small, rectangular buildings, although Kentford North was slightly smaller than Kentford South.
Eventually, the A45 between Cambridge and Felixstowe was re-numbered the A14.
Out of all the service stations which were built on the A14, Kentford Services was by far one of the more formal service areas. With its long slip roads, large car parks and landscaped surroundings, it had the feeling of a large A-road service area, although it wasn't as large as sites such as Bangor and Sutton Scotney,
In July 1997, the Little Chefs on both sides lost their filling stations, probably due to competition from the nearby filling stations at Newmarket Services a few miles to the west, which not only served the A45 (now A14) but the A11 as well. However, although the forecourts were demolished, the shop buildings weren't until 2006.
In 2004/05, then owners, Permira, announced the closure of around 131 Little Chef sites across the UK and unfortunately, both Kentford North and South were unable to escape the list. Over the years, both of the restaurants have deteriorated, although southbound is in better condition, and although the sites are up for sale on Ashwell & Rogers, nothing has ever replaced the Little Chefs as of 2021.
