Leicester Forest East services
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Leicester Forest East services is a motorway service station situated between junctions 21 and 21A of the M1 motorway, near Leicester, England.
History
It was designed for the opening of the second phase of the M1 in 1966 (seven years after the first phase was completed), based on an Italian design used on the Autostrade.[1] This design is very rare in Britain.
Construction
The contract was awarded to Ross in January 1963, to cost £500,000 and to open November 1964.[2]
Work was to start in November 1963.[3] The contract was awarded on Friday 21 August 1964 to R.M. Douglas Construction Ltd of Erdington. The architect was Howard V Lobb.
Opening of the motorway
At 2.30Script error: No such module "String".pm on Friday 22 January 1965, the £12Script error: No such module "String".million M1 section, from Misterton with Walcote to Markfield, was opened at the service area, being constructed. The person who led the 'Save Charnwood' campaign, (Arthur) Robert Bown, a Leicester hosiery manufacturer, Sports Hosiery, of Newtown Linford was invited to the opening, along with the Bishop of Leicester, and Leicestershire MPs Woodrow Wyatt and John Farr. The 'Save Charnwood' campaign had 33,000 signatures.[4]
The new motorway route had been published on Wednesday 17 September 1958. Leicestershire County Council had nonetheless supported the earlier deeply-controversial route, through Charnwood Forest.
Opening of the site
It was opened on Friday 6 May 1966 by Sir Cyril Osborne, the MP for Louth.[5]
The site became operated under the Motoross group, until 1983, becoming Welcome Break in early 1984. Motoross, with five service areas, was headquartered at the site, and during the first years of Welcome Break. Welcome Break was bought by THF on 21 July 1986 for £190Script error: No such module "String".million,[6] who changed their service stations' name to Welcome Break in June 1988. The Welcome Break headquarters moved to Newport Pagnell. The motorway division of Trust Houses Forte Catering had always been headquartered at Newport Pagnell since 1959.
Food
The services features a bridge-restaurant, between the two bases crossing the motorway, containing all of the service station's restaurants. At the time of opening it was operated by the Ross Group and featured a Terence Conran designed restaurant with a waitress silver service restaurant.[7]
Ross Group had carried out research in the US, Canada and in Europe.[8] The whole site seated 800 people.
- The Captain's Table Restaurant
- Two transport cafes, seating 105
Buildings
It would have parking for 200 vehicles.[9][10]
Proposed closure
Leicester Forest East services faced permanent closure in 2017[11] if the M1/M69 junction had been developed to increase capacity to accommodate predicted traffic growth.[12]
References
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- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Leicester Mercury Tuesday 15 January 1963, page 1
- ↑ Leicester Evening Mail Tuesday 15 January 1963, page 1
- ↑ Times Thursday March 6 1958, page 6
- ↑ Leicester Mercury Saturday 7 May 1966, page 11
- ↑ The Scotsman Tuesday 22 July 1986, page 17
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Leicester Mercury Thursday 24 February 1966, page 6
- ↑ Birmingham Daily Post Saturday 22 August 1964, page 8
- ↑ Leicester Mercury Tuesday 8 September 1964, page 11
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links
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