Leicester Forest East Services (M1 J21–J21A)
Leicester Forest East sits on the M1 between Junction 21 and Junction 21A on the western edge of Leicester. It is run by Welcome Break, and it opened in February 1966.
One of only five bridge restaurants ever built in Britain — and the last
The catering here is in a building that spans the motorway. Only five British service areas were ever built this way, and Leicester Forest East was the last of them and the only one on the M1. It cost £600,000, was modelled on the Italian autostrada, and had 72 fuel pumps and seating for 800. The bridge housed a silver-service restaurant designed by Terence Conran called The Captain’s Table. You can use either side, but the open terrace alongside the bridge closed to the public in the early 1970s.
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Latest accident or incident on the M1
The most recent accident or incident on the M1 that we are aware of.
Latest active roadworks on the M1
Roadworks live on the M1 right now.
M1 northbound Jct 10 to Jct 11 hard shoulder closure (MP 49/4 to 49/6)
06:03 (6:03am)15 Oct 2026reported 13 min ago
- Location
- M1 northbound within J10
- Direction
- Northbound
- Lanes closed
- Hard shoulder closed
- Reason
- Construction work
- Schedule
- 02:35 (2:35am) Thu 23 July 2026 → 05:00 (5am) Sat 24 Oct 2026
+ 1 more active roadworks - search all M1 traffic news →
Latest planned roadworks on the M1
The next planned roadworks scheduled on the M1.
M1 northbound Approach to Jct 6 lane 3 and 2 closure
06:03 (6:03am)15 Oct 2026reported 13 min ago
- Location
- M1 northbound between J5 and J6
- Direction
- Northbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Roadworks
- Schedule
- 22:00 (10pm) Thu 15 Oct 2026 → 05:00 (5am) Fri 16 Oct 2026
Forecast - not confirmed
+ 23 more planned roadworks - search all M1 traffic news →
Road closed — on the overhead signs now
National Highways’ overhead signs are showing a road closure, as at 06:17 (6:17am) Thu 15 Oct 2026.
M1 J25-J26 CLOSED
Time now: Thursday, 15 October 2026, 06:17 (6:17am)06:06 (6:06am)15 Oct 2026set 10 min ago✓ Checked by us 06:17 (6:17am)
M1 J25-J26
CLOSEDOverhead Message
WhereM42 northbound, at J9 · on 1 signAlso onAlso showing on M42 signsSinceSet 06:06 (6:06am) Thu 15 Oct 2026We check these overhead signs at least every five minutes, but we can't guarantee a sign is still current if an incident or issue has been cleared and the sign has not been updated yet. Signs and news can each carry something the other does not - check both before you travel.
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Updated 06:17 (6:17am) Thu 15 Oct 2026
Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.
What is at Leicester Forest East Services
- Food and drink: KFC, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, Chopstix, Starbucks and a Starbucks Drive-Thru, The Good Breakfast, Krispy Kreme
- Shops: Waitrose & Partners, WHSmith, Toys R Us
- Fuel and charging: a Welcome Break forecourt; Applegreen Electric rapid charging up to 400kW
- Hotel: Days Inn Leicester M1
- Also: free showers, a games arcade, and a piano anyone can play, free, through a partnership with the Electric Umbrella charity
Two hours free, then £15 for up to 24 hours for a car and £34 for an HGV, caravan or coach, or £36 with a meal voucher.
Service area details are compiled from the operators’ own published information and were last checked on 14 September 2026. Facilities change — if something here is out of date, please tell us and we will correct it.
The traffic around Leicester Forest East Services
The services sit on the stretch between Junction 21 and Junction 21A, which the Department for Transport counts at 157,403 vehicles a day — the 4th busiest of the 42 measured stretches of M1 mainline. Of those, 20,291 are lorries, 12.9% of the traffic. Every M1 widening scheme that has looked at this stretch has run into the services: plans around 2010 showed them needing to be rebuilt or closed entirely, and were postponed indefinitely.
Traffic figures are Department for Transport road traffic statistics, annual average daily flow for 2025, both directions combined.