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.
laneClosures
07:11 (7:11am)29 Oct 2026reported just now
- Location
- M1 northbound between J16 and J17
- Direction
- Northbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Road or carriageway or lane management
- Schedule
- 07:00 (7am) Thu 29 Oct 2026 → 07:15 (7:15am) Thu 29 Oct 2026
Latest active roadworks on the M1
Roadworks live on the M1 right now.
Hard shoulder closure southbound
07:06 (7:06am)29 Oct 2026reported 5 min ago
- Location
- M1 southbound between J22 and J21A
- Direction
- Southbound
- Lanes closed
- Hard shoulder closed
- Reason
- Maintenance work
- Schedule
- 09:00 (9am) Sun 30 Nov 2025 → 09:00 (9am) Mon 30 Nov 2026
Latest planned roadworks on the M1
The next planned roadworks scheduled on the M1.
M1 southbound Approach to Jct 9 lane 1 closure (MP 46/5 to 45/7)
07:06 (7:06am)29 Oct 2026reported 5 min ago
- Location
- M1 southbound between J10 and J9
- Direction
- Southbound
- Lanes closed
- Lane closures
- Reason
- Construction work
- Schedule
- 21:00 (9pm) Thu 29 Oct 2026 → 05:00 (5am) Fri 30 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 07:12 (7:12am) Thu 29 Oct 2026.
A610 WEST CLOSED AT M1 J26
Time now: Thursday, 29 October 2026, 07:12 (7:12am)06:00 (6am)29 Oct 2026set 1 hr ago✓ Checked by us 07:12 (7:12am)
A610 WEST
CLOSED
AT M1 J26Overhead Message
WhereM1 northbound and southbound, J29 to J24A · on 11 signsAlso onM1 signs onlySinceSet 06:00 (6am) Thu 29 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 07:12 (7:12am) Thu 29 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.