Killington Lake services
M6 southbound between J36 and J37
Signposted from the road.
LA8 0NW
map and directions
Single site located between junctions on one side of the motorway.
Killington Lake takes its name from Killington Reservoir, and on the right day this offers a view which could more than make up for any complaint you may have about your journey.
Facilities
Catering: Costa Coffee, McDonald's, Costa Express, Krispy Kreme Shops: WHSmith Amenities: Days Inn, Changing Places, Jackpot £500, Showers Outdoor Space: Large grass area around building; lakeside views; Picnic Area Charging Points: GRIDSERVE Electric Highway HPC 350kW CCS, 50kW CHAdeMO & 22kW Type 2 Forecourt: BP, Shop, Wild Bean Café
Parking Prices
First 2 hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £15 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £28. HGVs can pay £31 to include a £10 food voucher.
Prices are paid in the shop or by using NexusPay. The location code is 2058.
HGVs can also pay by using SNAP. The location code is 6174.
The fees are strictly enforced by GroupNexus.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Road Chef Motorways Ltd
M6
Killington
Kendal
Cumbria
LA8 0NW
- Amenity building operated by Roadchef
- Official Days Inn Kendal website
- Forecourt operated by BP Express
- Facebook Page
- Foursquare Page
- 📞 Telephone number: 01539 620739
- 📌 what3words: ///poorly.yard.obeyed
- more map options
Trivia and Design
See also: History:Killington Lake
Killington Lake was designed to work with Tebay northbound, to create a pair of service areas with excellent views; both overlooking (but not inside) a National Park. They both took some time to convince developers to get on board, and when Killington Lake was eventually built, it was built far too small and soon attracted complaints.
That troublesome history aside, after it was rebuilt in 1985 it took up a more standard design, with windows at the back to overlook the reservoir. It had a shop on the left, toilets on the right, and a large restaurant servery at the back. A hotel was soon added, with all its rooms facing the lake.
A study in 1994 concluded that the M6 here was the quietest motorway in England to have a motorway service area. Even today, it is much calmer than many other English motorway service areas. The 1985 building has needed almost no changes to be made, other than the rebranding of the units, with the restaurant servery now replaced by fast food options.
Roadchef were granted planning permission to significantly expand the amenity building in all directions in June 2019. A new front lobby would lead past two new retail stores (most likely including SPAR), as well as WHSmith and the game arcade. Costa would be moved to create a larger seating area, with large windows overlooking the reservoir.
The service area's toilets were described as "perfect" by customers during the 2023 Transport Focus review. This great status saw it come second overall, with a 99% satisfaction score. The toilets were again praised in the 2023 Loo of the Year Awards, where the facility won 'best public toilets'.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Burton-in-Kendal (M6 northbound, 13 miles) Carnforth truckstop (15 miles) Lancaster (26 miles) | Services on the M6 | Tebay (11 miles) |
| none nearby | Roadchef services | none nearby |
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