Leicester Forest East
| Leicester Forest East | |
| Welcome Break | |
| Road: | M1 between J21 and J21a |
| Address: | Welcome Break Leicester Forest East Motorway Services Area Hinckley Road Leicester Forest East Leicester Leicestershire LE3 3GB |
| Telephone number: | 01162 386801 |
| Signposted from the road? | Yes |
| Opened: | 1966 |
| Previous operators: | Ross |
| Grid reference: | SK538026 |
| Services type: | Single site built upon the motorway. |
| Visit Leicester Forest East/Welcome Break's official website Facebook Page | |
An old and small service area with all the restaurants on the bridge, packed in between two junctions. Its age is hidden by the many facelifts it has received, although it's due to close soon. It forms a gateway to The National Forest, and as such it has information boards and viewpoints.
Contents |
Facilities
General: Meeting Room, Local Information, BT Openzone, Traffic Information, Welcome Break Gaming, Picnic Tables, Showers
Restaurants: Burger King, Starbucks, Eat In, KFC
Shops: WH Smith, Waitrose, Fonebitz
Fuel: BP (pump types unknown)
Motel: Days Inn (northbound only)
Parking Prices
First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £8 and caravans, coaches and HGVs £20. These prices include a £2/£7 food voucher respectively.
Prices can be paid in the shop and restaurant, with instructions in each car park. They are strictly enforced by ParkingEye.
Trivia
Leicester Forest East is a very old service area, and by the turn of the millennium it had become dire and had been extended so far that it was now entirely concrete and asphalt.
Since then, the services have been completely refurbished. It's far from perfect - there just isn't the room to give it the extension it needs - but it feels and looks so much nicer.
During the early days of the services, you would have been able to walk along the promenade and terrace alongside the bridge, but these have both closed due to health and safety. The most unique thing about the services is that as you leave the northbound steps off the bridge you are thrown in to the shop, although this may have changed since it became a WH Smith. This was simply down to a lack of space.
Many people ask about the name 'Leicester Forest East', given that the services are west of Leicester and there is no Leicester Forest. The answer is that they are located east of the village of Leicester Forest East, which itself is east of Leicester Forest West. Clever, eh?
The services were designed along with this bit of the M1, which both opened in 1965. There is a Highways Agency works depot on the northbound exit and the local press described the services as "Leicestershire's best known landmark".
There is a Geocaching point located on the southbound emergency access road. The Days Inn motel opened in December 1999 and was the first at a Welcome Break.
In 2009 the services hit media attention after the adjacent hotel was used as overflow digs by Leicester University.
The toilets were refurbished in June 2010
Future
See details: The Rise and Fall of Leicester Forest East
The services are currently in a fairly dangerous position, as there are busy junctions either side and the M1 is four lanes with no hard shoulder through the services. The Highways Agency want to widen the M1 here yet again and they want to expand J21, both of which would require the services to be closed as they would be too dangerous. This was due to happen in 2010, but it has now been put back to 2017.
Amongst other things, a Facebook Group has been set up.
Survey Results
In 2008 the northbound services won a five star loo award.
In 2007, the northbound services won a five star loo award. The southbound site was rated four stars.
In 2006, both sides of the services won a five-star loo award.
Also in 2006, the services were rated three out of five by Holiday Which?
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Watford Gap (22 miles) Warwick (M40 south, 39 miles) Corley (M6 west, 26 miles) | Services on the M1 |
Markfield (6 miles) Donington Park (16 miles) Leicester (A46, 7 miles) |
| Newport Pagnell (45 miles) Warwick (M40 south, 39 miles) Corley (M6 west, 26 miles) | Welcome Break services |
Woodall (56 miles) Derby South (A50 west, 21 miles) |
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