How a Nightmare Run Turned into One of My Favourite Stops
Some days the road gods just aren’t on your side. This run down to the South West started as one of those days – diversions, closures, and the clock eating into my driving hours. It ended with a tenner well spent at Nunney Catch Cafe and a village walk I won’t forget.
When the run starts going sideways
Four hours of driving time got me as far as Strensham South Services. I didn’t fancy pushing on to Gloucester Services, so I pulled in and faced the usual dilemma: McDonald’s or “Chef Mike” – my nickname for the baby-area microwave.
No shame here. I’d packed a homemade jacket potato and chilli con carne, and it hit the spot.
Forty-five minutes later, I rolled back out and straight into trouble. I hit queues as soon as I left the services. The diversion fed me right into a gridlocked section. An hour of crawling later, I finally got moving again…
…until the A350 was closed for roadworks. No warning that helped me, no clean way around it.
Time to ring the office:
“I’m stopping short tonight – nightmare drive down.”
At that point, my priorities were simple:
- Get the delivery done.
- Protect my remaining driving time.
- Find safe overnight parking.
Nunney Catch Café: £10 Overnight HGV Parking and a Short Walk to a Castle
If you ever find yourself parked up at Nunney Catch Café in a wagon for an overnight, especially if you’re new to tramping, this is what you can actually do with a tenner, an a few hours to kill.
Discovering Nunney Catch Café
That’s when I spotted Nunney Catch Café.
24-hour HGV parking. £10. Job done.
I parked up, killed the engine and, as daft as it sounds, the place already felt different. For a city lad, the area around Nunney felt almost “interstellar” – not in the sci-fi way, but in that sense of being somewhere completely outside your normal orbit.
Morning at the café
Next morning I headed into the café to:
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Check out the washing and toilet facilities.
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Grab some food.
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Ask the important question: “Is there much around here?”
The ladies behind the counter mentioned a small castle in the village. That was me sold. I had a few hours to burn before I needed to move, so I set off on foot.
About ten minutes’ walk later I caught my first glimpse of the castle towers. The merlons stood up over the trees – a proper traditional scene, like something out of an old painting. You instantly get that feeling this is a place where everyone knows everyone.
The castle itself was closed off due to bridge repairs and fundraising, so I couldn’t go inside, but walking around the moat and grounds was still worth it. Sometimes a ruin left as-is says more than a polished attraction.
Quiet time at the church
Next, I headed for the church. A memorial stone at the entrance stopped me in my tracks – I paid my respects and carried on up.
The main doors were closed but a sign said “Open”, so I went in. No one else was there. The inside was laid out for quiet reflection – peace, prayers, and a bit of headspace.
I’d been taking a few photos, and on the way out I dropped a donation in. I wasn’t sure about the rules on pictures, but I knew a fiver in the box would do more good than any worry about it. With a bit of luck, this blog will bring a few more visitors and a few more notes in that pot.
Getting “lost” in a small village
In a small village like Nunney, the best way to see it is to intentionally get “lost”. That’s how you find the good stuff.
I bumped into a lovely lady called Caroline (I hope I’ve got that right). She’s the first person I’ve ever given my website name to in person, so I’ll always remember that.
We walked down Donkey Lane together, chatting about my home and her village. A duck road sign made me laugh – I’d never seen one like that before. There were plenty of ducks around to justify it, and Caroline shared a local secret:
“The ducks get a bit frisky on the road.”
Proper village detail, that.
She told me about her son and family being big Liverpool supporters, and mentioned Rob Walker – a famous motorsport navigator. A quick Google later and Nunney popped up as the “original home of British racing”. It suits the place down to the ground.
The Guard House, a joke and an apple
When it came time to say goodbye, I asked Caroline to suggest a route back to my wagon at Nunney Catch Café. I followed her directions and paused for a few more photos on the way.
That’s when I came across a small building called “The Guard House”.
A well-spoken voice called out, “Drink too much – that’s where you go.”
I laughed. In my head, that translated straight to “HM Prison”.
The gentleman speaking was out in the garden. We got chatting – mainly about beer and his travels around the country and the world, teaching English.
I asked, “What did you teach?”
He replied, deadpan, “Children.”
Took me a second to catch the joke. Great icebreaker. I could’ve stayed there talking all day, but duty called – I needed to head back toward the truck.
Before the trail path, I noticed a basket of fruit outside a house. Locals, it turns out, leave the lower-hanging apples from their trees out for anyone to take.
I helped myself to one. Just one. The taste was hard to put into words – simply clean and fresh. Real fruit, grown where you’re standing.
Back across the field to the wagon at Nunney Catch Café
To cut back to the café I needed to cross the bridge, up a few steps and there was the field. I wasn’t exactly dressed for a country walk, and I did size up a few cows and bulls in case they fancied a chase, but it all passed peacefully.
Back at Nunney Catch Café I finished the afternoon with poached eggs on toast and a brew, then got ready to move on.
Driver notes – HGV overnight parking at Nunney Catch Café
For HGV drivers thinking about using Nunney Catch as a night out:
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Parking: 24-hour HGV parking was £10 when I visited.
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Facilities: Café is not 24-hour, toilets and basic washing – enough to reset yourself.
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Walk: Roughly 10–15 minutes on foot to the village and castle.
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Access: Straightforward off the main road when I visited – no ridiculous tight turns.
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Noise: Just off a main carriageway, so expect some traffic noise and a busy café/quarry trade in the morning. I still slept through it – drivers were respectful, and because I drove straight in rather than reversing, I wasn’t being woken up by other engines.
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Pub: The George Inn by the castle is a proper village pub and coaching inn. It was closed at my time of visit but does food as well as a pint, and it’s an easy walk if you’re parked up for the night and off duty.
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Vibe: Quiet, village feel. Locals are friendly and curious rather than fed up with trucks.
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Best for: Drivers who don’t mind a short walk and want more than a service station night.
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Not ideal if: You need a big supermarket, gym, or fast-food drive-thru on the doorstep.
Prices and details were right when I visited – always check locally as things change.
Final thoughts
Nunney wasn’t on the plan. It was a forced stop, brought on by a rough run and road closures.
But that’s the point:
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A tenner for safe overnight parking.
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A proper truck-friendly café.
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A short walk to a moated castle, church, lanes, locals, a village pub, and little stories you only get by drifting off the main route.
Nights like this are a reminder that getting out of the cab now and then isn’t just nice – it’s good for your head.
For an HGV driver twiddling his thumbs, not a bad day out.
