Enriched with facilities but not good looks, Toddington is a busy service area and the first in a while for traffic heading from the M25.
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Facilities
General: Children's Play Area, Showers, Wi-Fi, LPW Truck Wash
Restaurants: Eat & Drink Co., Burger King, Costa Coffee, Krispy Kreme
Shops: WH Smith, Marks and Spencer Simply Food, Ladbrokes (southbound only), Barber Shop (southbound only)
Fuel: BP with pumps for Unleaded, Ultimate Unleaded, Diesel and Ultimate Diesel. LPG available southbound only.
Motel: Travelodge[book rooms]
Parking Prices
First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £8 and HGVs £18, or £20 to include a £7.50 food voucher.
Prices can be paid through the phone, with instructions in each car park. They are strictly enforced by CP Plus.
Trivia
Toddington houses Moto's Head Office, meaning that the services have been the pilot test for many things including WH Smith, 'Power Naps' and Marks and Spencer Simply Food. It featured in the BBC's 'Top Gear' and until recently it had Scoop, Halfords, T2 and Birthdays stores, making it one of Moto's main retail sites. Many of these have now become storage space.
This has been the case right from the early days: in 1974 Toddington was the first service station with a "free-flow snack supermarket layout", which was described by a design journal as an "interesting initiative" that promises "promises a much improved service to the public".
It was Granada's first service area, opening in 1965. It was the third service area to open on the M1, after Newport Pagnell.
Moto had planned to build a new Costa stand next to a new entrance at the far end of the northbound services, potentially saving the last remaining motorway Little Chef, but the plans were refused as the services were part of green belt land.
Survey Results
The wide variety of shops was praised by Lord Adonis (Secretary of State for Transport) during his surprise visit in September 2009.
The services were inspected by the AA on the 24th and 25th of March 2007. These are their results:
| Category: | Rating: |
| Road safety and parking: | Acceptable |
| Outdoor facilities: | Very Poor |
| Access and indoor facilities: | Good |
| Catering: | Acceptable |
| Shop: | Very Good |
| Family Friendliness: | Very Poor |
| Service: | Poor |
| Hygiene: | Acceptable |
| Pricing: | Acceptable |
| Final Score: | Poor |
The services were said to be well priced(!) with secure, clean facilities, but the staff were poor and there was very little to smile about outside. The AA said that the poor result could be down to the fact that the services were being refurbished at the time they were inspected and they would improve afterwards.
In 2006, Toddington was rated 4/5 by Holiday Which?
Also in 2006 the services won a five-star loo award.
Alternatives
Comments and Reviews
Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.
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Steve
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I've just spent almost two hours trying to pay for parking, having realised I stopped for just over two hours for a nap earlier this morning.
It took me 13 different phone numbers, following information on the Moto website, then a myriad of automated systems, before I finally managed to speak to a person - which turned out to be the mobile number of the duty manager of the southbound side (as the northbound, which I was trying to contact didn't answer).
The reason for all the calls was the fact that when attempting to pay for parking by phone, you need a location code. To speak to customer services, you need a location code. Anything else cuts you off.
Finally, the extremely helpful duty manager on the Southbound side actually walked out to the car park while I was on the phone to read the location code from the signs. She had no idea how the parking system worked, and sounded aghast when I explained there are automated cameras which are used to send £85 fines the moment someone accidentally stays a few minutes over 2 hours. She didn't even realise there was a location code on the signs until just now.
Armed with the location code for the southbound services, I finally called back the payment line and used this code when prompted, after selecting the option to speak to customer services. This simply gave me a recorded message of yet another number to call before cutting off.
Finally, on the 13th phone call, I managed to speak with someone who eventually managed to take my payment.
I kid you not.
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Ian P.
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A fortnight ago, I had to meet a colleague who had broken down in the North-bound Toddington services petrol station. I was there for 3 hours while we transferred the equipment from his van in to the back of my car (whilst we waited for the RAC recovery to attend). Imagine my supprise this weekend to learn that my company lease company have paid this 'fine' and are recovering the cost from my employer (who are docking my wages). I'll never visit Toddington Services again, not even to rescue a friend in need. Clear signs on the petrol forecourt - I don't think so. Robbing b*st*rds !!!
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Amanda Wilson
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I use Toddington services every Saturday. All I can say is that I never need to park there for over 2 hours & the toilets are luck of the draw. The M&S is the only reasonably priced shop on the entire site. I've once tried the overpriced fish and chips at the cafe area, which was greasy, but at least the expression on the fish was more merry than the staff. However, I usually just buy a bag of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, (which is a rare addition) usually chat to the same friendly and funny young man stocking the doughnuts, and get my Costa Hot Chocolate. I sit down, watch the television and enjoy my sugar rush before tackling the M1 again. I'd rate it 7/10. Amanda - London  |
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Anonymous
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Hi, We stopped at this service station 27-06-10 and thought we would try something to eat !!!!!! I purchased a bacon and chicken salad and panini and chips from EDC (averagely priced) I have got to give this service station credit!!!!! it certainly lived up to its reputation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The chips were dry and tastless, the bacon was full of fat and greasy, the chicken (if you can call it that) was wet and slimey, I ate the green in the salad and my Husband took bite's out of his panini and threw it away The staff looked as fed up as the food I have come to the conclusion that I WILL NEVER EAT AT A MOTORWAY SERVICE STATION AGAIN   |
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Alf
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I stopped here on Sunday for the first time for many years. What have Moto done to the place? I'm sure the services used to be on two levels, with the restaurant upstairs. Now everything seems to be squashed in to a small part of the building. What has happened to the old facilities? Is Moto using them as offices?
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Tonster
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Tonster wrote: Hi All
Just to let you know, these are private parking companies and it isn't a fine, it's an invoice.
Effectively the law says it is a breach of contract between you and the company that issues the tickets but it isn't covered by the road traffic act (even though they make it look like they are), all they can legally claim is the loss they incurred by the breach which in a free car park is nil.
I had one of these and just ignored it and they eventually go away. The contract can only be between them and the driver as well as they read the sign but they don't know who the driver was and you don't have to tell them!! http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclai ... ng-tickets |
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Tonster
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Hi All
Just to let you know, these are private parking companies and it isn't a fine, it's an invoice.
Effectively the law says it is a breach of contract between you and the company that issues the tickets but it isn't covered by the road traffic act (even though they make it look like they are), all they can legally claim is the loss they incurred by the breach which in a free car park is nil.
I had one of these and just ignored it and they eventually go away. The contract can only be between them and the driver as well as they read the sign but they don't know who the driver was and you don't have to tell them!!
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ry
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I recently broke down in the toddington services and they are making me pay a 50 pounds fine. I was completely unaware of the signs that are "clearly" placed around the site. Im more than tempted to contact watchdog about this as they are absolutely having our pants down. Thoses services are there for reasons such as if you are feeling dangerously too tired to drive you can have a sleep. Last time i ever go into one of those places, they can put it where the sun don't shine
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anon
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last time i stopped on a motorway service station you could spend all night in the car park FREE now i see its only 2 hours, thats ridiculous,
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Anonymous
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i too have just found a fine waiting for me for staying an hour too long as i was unwell, i've not discovered the art of reading any small signs in the dark yet
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| Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums. | | |
Main Page | Photo Gallery | Location, Map and Directions
With thanks to John and the user 'Ziathon' for the information used on this page.
AA survey results from the Automobile Association, you can view the full report and what they were looking for in this PDF document.
