Todhills rest area
M6 between J44 and J45
Signposted from the road.
CA6 4HA
map and directions
Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them.
The first of a new era, Todhills was supposed to inspire a whole new generation of rest areas.
Facilities
Catering: southbound only: Costa Coffee
Amenities: southbound only: Travelodge, Changing Places
Outdoor Space: Small grass area at back of car park
Charging Points: southbound only: GRIDSERVE Electric Highway 350kW CCS, 50kW CHAdeMO & 22kW Type 2; Tesla Supercharger 250kW
Forecourt: northbound only: Shell, Select, Deli by Shell, Costa Express
and southbound only: BP, Shop, M&S Food, Wild Bean Café, Free Cash Machine
Parking Prices
Short stay customer parking is available for all vehicles on both sides. No overnight parking is available.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
A74
Todhills
Blackford
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA6 4HA
Trivia and Design
See also: History:Todhills
Todhills was used to relaunch the concept of the motorway rest area, but the idea clearly has not caught on. Its unusual status is purely down to its history. This history is also why the site has sometimes been referred to as 'Moss services' (referring to the Moss Café); BP still refer to their branch as this, while Shell call theirs 'Carlisle North'.
The rest area is also referred to as a "services" on the M6's electronic signs when there is a problem. This includes warning that no overnight parking is available, even though overnight parking isn't a mandatory facility at any service area.
As a result of its history, the filling stations on either side have different operators, usually charging a very different price. It was primarily regarded as a Moto site, owing to its history, until Moto pulled out of the northbound side in 2023, leaving the only restaurant building boarded up.
The southbound side also has a huge abandoned area where the old truckstop was: this hasn't been used in 20 years and is now mostly just rubble, despite the updated road layout including provision for it to be built on.
Electricity North West are currently upgrading the electricity connection at Todhills, with a view to increasing its electric vehicle charging capacity in future. Shell intend to add six electric vehicle charging points in their forecourt in 2024, whilst Moto activated six new high-powered chargers on the southbound side in August 2024. Twelve Tesla Superchargers were also later added to the southbound side in September 2024.
The southbound Costa Coffee continues to be operated by Moto, though with the adjacent hotel, that side may experience higher sales. It will also have very different running costs, owing to its different history.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| Southwaite (13 miles) | Services on the M6 | Gretna (A74(M), 6 miles) |
| Southwaite (13 miles) | Moto services | none nearby |
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