Description: One of my favourite pit stops just a mile or so off J38 of the M1 is at the West Yorkshire Sculpture Park, a few miles south of Huddersfield. Although you have to pay £4 ($8) parking for your car, the restaurant is reasonably priced, and you can walk off your meal with a quick zip around the Sculpture Park free. It’s always nice to find somewhere to stop that is close to the motorway, but isn’t a boring, expensive and standard service station.
The restaurant is on the first floor of the main reception building. You will spot the building by following the metal walkway with the names of the friends of the sculpture park stamped into it. Downstairs is a small gallery shop selling wonderful jewellery, and designer pottery. Unfortunately, the shop isn’t cheap, so I usually content myself by sticking my nose onto the windowpane outside for a couple of minutes to pick up my high-art fix.
The restaurant is in canteen style, so the service is quick. There are usually a few “specials” such as meat and potato pie or rattitouie for around £7, or a huge baked potato with a variety of fillings for £4.50. The food is served from a hot plate, so is quick, and as it isn’t a self-service, is hygienic. While the restaurant isn’t intended for special dining, it is perfect for a short fast stop and some basic, good quality filling food. The restaurant also offers a variety of sandwiches and snacks.
One of the things I like about the restaurant is the extensive choice of adult soft drinks that are available. Rather than having to face the cloying and teeth rotting Sprite and Coke dispensers, there are plenty of healthier and different choices, such as traditionally brewed dandelion and burdock, orange or ginger beer. Of course, they also sell quality tea and coffee for those in need of a caffeine fix.
As I felt virtuous over the healthy drink, on my last visit I had to treat myself to a cake; I had a chocolate brownie, while my beloved enjoyed her traditional treacle tart. The cakes are large, cheap (£1.25 - £1.75) and delicious.
The seating area is formed using simple chairs and tables, so it doesn’t encourage you to linger beyond your meal. However, the full height and wide window of the dining area gives a wonderful view across the valley of park and farmland. In summer, I enjoy sitting at the open-air balcony in front of the window.
While I have always managed to find somewhere to sit at the restaurant, I am always surprised at how popular the place is. Given that even with the £4 parking charge, a meal is probably still cheaper (and much nicer) than the service station alternative, it’s no doubt well used by travellers in the know.
And so a few words on the sculpture park itself; you can spend as little or as long here, as some exhibition centres are quick to walk to, while the main outdoor section have some walking routes several miles long. There are always Henry Moore, and (my personal favourite) Elizabeth Frink sculptures on display here, but there is a regular change round of travelling exhibits too. We recently enjoyed the Andy Goldsworthy exhibition. As I tend to drop by perhaps a couple of times a year, I find the displays constantly moving and changing, even if I only have half an hour for a quick walk around.
While the restaurant is fairly basic, I always find it clean and the food good and filling. I always look forward to a quick stop at the Sculpture Park, both for the opportunity of a quick meal, and the chance of a refreshing walk.
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