Little Chef, Bramham

The Little Chef at Bramham Crossroads first opened in 1980 or 1981, located alongside a BP petrol station. This was one of three Little Chef restaurants situated at the Bramham Crossroads - the Aberford branch operated on the northbound side of the A1, while the Nuthill restaurant opened around the same time on the southbound side. The Bramham location served eastbound traffic on the A64 heading towards York and Scarborough. Despite the high concentration of Little Chefs at this junction, each restaurant had its own purpose in serving specific sides of the A1 and A64.

However, the situation changed in 1999 when a section of the M1 motorway opened between Leeds and Hook Moor. This resulted in the existing A1 between Hook Moor and Bramham being upgraded to motorway, with the junction significantly altered. Prior to this, the Aberford service station was demolished and the Little Chef there closed in 1996. The new motorway also bypassed the Nuthill branch, making access extremely difficult, leading to its closure by 1999 due to poor business.

This left the Bramham Little Chef as the sole remaining restaurant at the junction, though reduced access made it much quieter. Ultimately, poor performance led to its closure by 2002 as part of the Compass group's sale to new owners Permira, which resulted in the shuttering of several standalone locations. The neighboring filling station also ceased operations, leaving the site abandoned.

Unfortunately, the site has continued to deteriorate. In 2010, an arson attack left the Little Chef building in its current dilapidated state, with only three walls still standing. Over time, vandals have stripped away remnants of the brand, from bathroom tiles to posters. It seems the end has come for this once-bustling roadside location.

Please excuse the poor quality of my photographs, this location was visited very early in my Urbex journey. The majority of photos taken have been deemed poor to publish.