It was announced in October 1961 as the third motorway service area[1] of Granada Group, of Golden Square, and was given the contract in early July 1962, for over 1,000 people, 60 petrol and diesel pumps.

[4] At the time A. Monk Ltd, of Padgate, were building five miles of the M1 from Kirby Muxloe to Markfield in Leicestershire, which would take 23 months from January 1963.

[6] On Thursday 30 April 1964, when erecting a metal lamp post on the motorway, 35 year old, father of four, Joseph McGuire of Moorgate St, Liverpool, was electrocuted, when a crane jib touched the 275kV transmission line that crosses the site.

Two other 30 year old workers, from Walker Installations, of Great Howard Street in Liverpool, were injured with burns to their hands and feet.

Around one mile south, on the western side of the M1, is the large Sundon Substation in Chalton, a terminus of many pylon lines of the National Grid.

In episode two of the television series Knowing Me Knowing You Partridge introduces his guest Daniella Forrest (Minnie Driver) with another reference to Toddington: "So, now, my first guest is intelligent, witty, a woman of the world with a figure that would stop the traffic dead, both ways on the M1 if she were to wiggle across the footbridge at Toddington Service Station.

"[10] In 2004, Toddington Services featured in series 4, episode 3 of Top Gear with the three presenters comparing a Volvo 760, Audi 80 and Rover 416GTi before proceeding up the M1 and M6 to Old Trafford.