Goodbye to the Jacks Hill Café

We were sorry to learn of the final closure in November of the Jacks Hill Café on the A5 near Towcester in Northamptonshire.

Jacks Hill Café was opened in 1955 on the site of a Voluntary Aid Detachment hospital which operated during the First World War. It was very popular with travellers throughout its life, becoming part of the Tower Café Group – it’s the only surviving Tower Café building. Thanks to its large car park and slap-up breakfasts, it hosted many biker nights and meets and even appeared as the backdrop in episodes of Top Gear and Scrapheap Challenge.

The café has struggled to survive in the last two years amid lockdowns, road closures, erratic food supplies and now the increase in the price of utilities. But the financial impact of those, coupled with staff shortages, eventually left the owners no option but to close the café for good. For countless bikers, truckers and travellers who have stopped at Jacks Hill Café over the years it really is the end of an era.