The abandoned M1 service station being left to rot near Derbyshire

A once-busy service station on the M1 near Derbyshire has been visited by urban explorers. The M1 site near Junction 22 for Markfield and Coalville, in Leicestershire, has been closed for several years, and nature has been busy reclaiming the site ever since. The filling station, shop and restrooms that once welcomed motorists are shuttered and fenced off.

However, the nearby Travelodge is still open with HGVs using the hotel car park to park up off the A50, a stone's throw from the motorway. Speaking to LeicestershireLive[1], the urban explorers, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "The site is very strange to wander through. It was a foggy day when we visited which gave the site an eerie feeling.

But it's also strangely busy too still. Why do you believe it's so important that Alstom stays in Derby? Let us know here[2]

"Lorry drivers heading out of the hotel have to drive through the one way system past the old petrol station and car wash to get back on the roads. And with the M1 so close you can still hear the thrum of traffic constantly. "The main building is firmly shut down so we didn't try to get into it, but some of the outbuildings are open to peep inside, like the car wash and some electrical outbuildings and storage containers.

It's fascinating to see how the services are slowly being taken over by bushes and trees - there's even a children's play area peeping out of the top of some of the thickest bits of undergrowth."

References

1. ^ LeicestershireLive (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
2. ^ Why do you believe it's so important that Alstom stays in Derby?

   Let us know here (xd.wayin.com)