Upton Upon Severn

Rough run in a 62-plate wagon

The job had landed: West of the UK Wales it is, heading down the M6, M5, M50, M4.

I was in a 62-plate. Boo.

For any non-HGV readers, let me translate that for a second. A “62-plate” sweating the asset is basically a badge of honour on wheels: the odometer’s nudging a million kilometres, the wind deflectors vibrate and drum along the cab, the mattress is as thin as cardboard, and whatever’s squatting underneath it happily passes every bump straight into your spine. It’s like riding a bronco in Benidorm and hoping it comes with a parachute.

I had a 1 hour 50 stop on POA at Scania: engine oil top-up, side marker out, ABS light showing.

On the way down I stopped off at Strensham for “Chef Mike” (baby-area microwave) and yet another jacket potato with chilli con carne – this time with a twist. I added greens: spinach and mixed Italian leaves. Didn’t taste great with the addition, but my gut microbes were probably grateful.

The roads treated me well. For once, everything went to plan apart from the delay.

I already had my overnight in mind. Welcome to Upton upon Severn.

Parking at 02:30 – Tough reverse

About 02:30 I rolled into Upton and found the riverside parking busy. The only space left needed a proper S-shaped blind-side reverse, with kerbs, lampposts and other HGVs waiting to catch you out – and the usual anxiety about not waking everyone up.

I took it steady, got her in without breaking anything, and only then clocked the downside – west-facing space. In winter that’s fine. In spring or summer you’re basically slow-roasting in your own cab once the sun swings round, even with the night heater off.

Parking paid: £8.00. Job done.

Setting out: aiming for Clive’s Fruit Farm

My aim for the day was to make it out to Clive’s Fruit Farm, but I also wanted to “get lost” a bit on the way and see what turned up. I had a rough loop in mind: a walk with plenty of photos, some proper local scenery and, as I later found out, a box full of cider, fruit, veg and pasties bursting with filling.

The first image I wanted was a simple direction sign, but my eye was dragged up into the trees – birds nesting, singing away above a fairly busy road. My body’s first read of the place was “safe”. If the birds don’t feel like they’re in danger, neither do I.

One thing that really stood out early on was an old-school fuel station, still live and trading. I was lucky enough to see a tanker turning up to make a delivery. I’ve done a few of those small sites around Wales. Most independents struggle with the margins; big companies offer them a refurb deal – tens of thousands up front, distribution and stock handled for them and, as far as I understand it, the owner keeps the shop. Different world to the big motorway sites.

Town centre: church tower and heritage

Further along you can’t miss the church tower and the medieval feel around town – Tudor House Museum, old manor houses, Ye Olde Anchor Inn, and the riverside ham (meadow) area. Even with Christmas still being set up when I passed through, the place looked spot-on.

I found myself taking photos of nearly every building. Once I pulled my eyes away from the lens, each one had its own personality – properly interesting architecture, not just copy-and-paste modern boxes. Some even have their front doors tucked around the back, which does your head in a bit when you’re trying to work out how they’re laid out.

I popped into a shop to ask for directions to Clive’s. The instructions were classic:

“Round the corner, past the fence, keep going.”

So I did. Past the gated fence I noticed a lone bench and wandered over to check the plaque. It was in recognition of Jo Martin’s contribution to flood risk and the environment – a heart-inside-a-heart moment from the community. Nice touch.

Clive’s Fruit Farm – apples, cider and a box of loot

I kept going and eventually reached Clive’s Fruit Farm. It’s clearly a pit stop for cyclists – racks of bikes everywhere. Personally, it was a bit early in the day for me to be checking out spandex bulges, but each to their own. I knew there’d be a good café tucked away somewhere.

I walked into the farm shop excited – stacks of freshly picked apples everywhere. I asked Paula if I could take some photos and we got chatting. She had a radiant way of talking about what they sell. She even made me feel proud of buying home-grown produce. As I’m writing this, I’m drinking the cider she recommended.

It was like handing a kid a Christmas catalogue. I wanted everything. I ended up with a box of loot: cider, fruit, veg, pasties – the works. I was buzzing, right up to the point I remembered I had to carry the box all the way back to the wagon.

I was blowing every five minutes, but that just gave me more excuses to stop and bite into a pasty with filling bursting out the sides.

Walk to the wharf

Once I’d stowed the goodies back in the cab, I headed down to the wharf to see the boats. That’s where I met Cynthia and Cliff. They were visiting too, acting as private taxi for her son.

Cynthia’s a big Liverpool fan. We had a friendly chat… right up until Cliff decided to enlighten us with the Premier League table. He’s an Aston Villa fan and, at the time, they were sitting above Liverpool.

Nice one, Cliff.

In the distance I could see the parish church of St Peter & St Paul. Even though Upton feels like a quiet place, the fields around it are rich with joy and noise when the season’s right – concerts, events, and, not far from the river route, rows of pubs and hotels where people stay over. If you’ve got your own accommodation on wheels, it looks like a solid night out for a few drinks.

St Peter & St Paul – and then a hidden Baptist church

I made my way over to St Peter & St Paul. I could hear building work going on inside, so I walked in for a couple of snaps. The tradesmen were sound – we chatted for a bit. They were refurbing the floor, painstakingly laying tiny tiles one at a time. Specialist work. The church had a mix of industrial and traditional vibe, with a dominant showpiece hanging below the altar.

From there, I started walking back towards town. Only five minutes in I noticed some black gates, like they were hiding something. Curiosity won.

Inside was a lady with a black bin full of outdoor cleaning tools.

“Hi, is it open?” I asked.

“No, but I’ll open it if you want a picture. I’ve seen you walking round town taking photos,” she said.

That was Sheila – a community volunteer at Upton Baptist Church. The building itself was tired and in need of serious work. They’re raising funds for a new plan, and Sheila was there helping the minister and locals keep things going. Heart of gold.

She explained that the minister performs full-submersion baptism – the pool is under the table in the photo. Then she told me something that got past my guard completely.

He (the minister) fosters and supports children and young people under eighteen who have no one else. Once they hit adult age, the system largely steps away. Apart from the faith and community this place gives them, there’s very little support.

I’ll be honest – I had no idea this was happening. It brought me to tears in the cab on the drive back to the yard. It feels wrong to trim Sheila’s story down, but I hope this blog at least gives it a bit more visibility.

Back to town: Café No. 8, mini golf and 17,000 steps

Time was closing in on me, so I headed back into town and grabbed a quick brew at Café No. 8. I caught them at closing time, so no chance for the mini golf out the back, which I’d had my eye on.

By now I was on around 17,000 steps – roughly eight miles.

To finish the loop I ducked into Colston Bakery for my favourite dessert: a scone with cream and raspberry sauce. I sat outside because I wanted to feel like a tourist – isn’t that what we all do on the continent?

What a day. Next job was simple: report back to the yard.

Driver notes – HGV overnight parking at Upton upon Severn

For HGV drivers thinking about using Upton upon Severn as a night out:

• Parking: Hanley Road was £8 when I visited. I arrived at about 02:30 and it was already busy; a parking attendant showed up later in the morning.

• Access: Easy when there’s space, but it gets full early. Later at night you may be left with tighter spots and trickier manoeuvres.

• Facilities (immediate area): 24-hour toilet with sinks to wash up. No full shower block when I visited.

• Walk: Expect a decent stroll. From the wagon, out to Clive’s Fruit Farm and back via the wharf and churches, I clocked about 17,000 steps (around 8 miles), including detours. You can do shorter loops if you want.

• Food & drink:

  • Warner’s supermarket: on-site, roughly 7am–9pm.

  • Clive’s Fruit Farm: farm shop, fresh produce, pastries, cider, and a café popular with cyclists.

  • Café No. 8: good brew & food, mini golf out the back when open.

  • Colston Bakery: solid scones and other treats.

  • Pubs and hotels: along the river and in town for a night out if you’re parked up.

• Vibe: Small-town feel. Historic buildings, great community and wonderful volunteers like Sheila, Locals were friendly and happy to chat.

• Best for: Drivers who want a “day out” feel – heritage, riverside, farm shop, small independent places – with the town just around the corner from where you park.

• Not ideal if: You need on-site showers, a big truck-stop-style facility.

Prices and details were right when I visited – always check locally as things change.

Final thoughts

Upton upon Severn was a planned stop on the back of a long shift.

But that’s the point:

• £8 for safe overnight parking.

• A chance to stretch your legs properly.

• A loop that takes in a working farm shop, riverside wharf, historic churches, a small Baptist church and rugby on the weekends.

• A town where the buildings have personality and the people are happy to talk.

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 who could easily spend the evening doom-scrolling in a lay-by, Upton upon Severn is a much better option.