Junction 30 / 31

This is a complex double junction. Clockwise leave at J30, anti-clockwise at 31 (watch for signage before entering Dartford Crossing to ensure that you are in the correct lane).

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Thurrock Services has all the usual facilities of a motorway service station including a hotel. Electric vehicle charging is available. Opposite the exit is the Lakeside shopping centre. Traffic for this can be heavy, before Bluewater was built queues at Christmas and for the January sales backed up onto the motorway.
Travelling clockwise this junction marks the end of the motorway. There is no path for pedestrians or cyclists over the QE2 bridge. Cyclists must use the dedicated cycle track to the Crossing Control point from where a patrol vehicle will ferry them across.

The toll plaza for the Dartford Crossing has been removed and the charge must now be paid on-line
or through a Payzone outlet.

I have found that if travelling anti-clockwise at busy times leaving the services can be a pretty slow process as you need to cross the traffic stream leaving the motorway for London.

Junction 28

For all services take the A1028 towards Brentwood.
Tucked in a stub of the original road cut off by the roundabout is a filling station and a noodle bar in a former Little Chef. The noodle bar is owned by a small local chain and is open for lunch and evening meals  Tuesdays to Saturdays and all day from noon until 21:45 on Sundays (times verified 5 Jan 2024). The filling station has toilets, a free cashpoint, a Deli2Go and a Costa Express although there is no seating or standing area for the last two.
There is also a coffee stall in the car park..
Carry on for a few more yards and the Nags Head public house is on the right. This is now a popular restaurant. Almost opposite is a Holiday Inn and just across the traffic lights by the pub a small convenience store.

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Junction 25

There is a selection of local services here. To the north (towards Hertford) on the A10 is a Travelodge with an associated restaurant. When I checked the website only breakfast and dinner was offered although the sign in the window when I drove past included lunch. All other local services are towards London. Take care to be in lane 1 when leaving the roundabout as you will be turning left into Bullsmoor Lane a few seconds later.

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On the left is a parade of local shops including a convenience store, a cafe and a fish and chip shop. There are garages on both sides of the road and on the right are a McDonalds and a Burger King drive through. Both garages offer Costa Coffee and the Shell garage has an electric vehicle charging point and a small Budgeons store.

Juncrion 24

Its about half a mile into Potters Bar town centre where there is a full range of facilities. The road can be busy and of course town centre parking is never easy. I would only recommend this for an evening meal.

If you go straight across at the crossroads when you reach the town centre there is a decent sized Tesco on the right.

Continue on this road and you eventually end up in South Mimms, a route that I have found useful when the motorway has been blocked.

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Junction 23

The intersection with the A1 / A1M there are motorway services here and a nearby village. The roundabout has an unjustified reputation for being confusuing, in fact it is well signposted although negotiating it can be slow at busy times as peak flows are well over capacity. For both the services and South Mimms village just stay in the lane marked "Services". The services are operated by Welcome Break with the usual food concessions and a small Waitrose which is very handy for late night shopping, especially on a Sunday. Electric vehicle charging is available from both Ecotricity and Tesla.

December 2023 - Tesla chargers are often busy with queues. Construction has started on a new bank of chargers.

The cashpoints charge a fee but see below. An unusal feature is a laundrette located in the coach park just outside the door to the main building.

The filling station is expensive (see Juntion 22 for an alternative) but has an M&S food outlet and a free cashpoint. I have been told that the garage is a totally separate property and is not managed by Welcome Break.

The services have a drive through Starbucks near the exit. Just outside the exit from the main services approaching the filling station there is an area outside of the services normally occupied by a tea stall where a cup of tea and a bacon roll will cost less than a fancy coffee from the drive through. According to the sign displayed (December 2023)opening hours are 06:00 to 14:00 Monday to Friday. There are hotels in the main services and through the separate lorry services. For South Mimms village go through the lorry services and then turn left over the A1M. There are two public houses offering meals and a petrol station. I have sampled the White Hart which serves decent inexpensive meals, the former petrol station in the village is now a car wash. 

NOTE September 2022 - the White Hart has been closed with concrete blocks across the car park since at least February. I don't know if this is a permanent closure but so far there is no activity suggesting redevelopment.
December 2023 - Still closed with no sign of activity

 

 From the village you can continue anti-clockwise parallel to the motorway on the B556 and rejoin at junction 22. This is also a good route out of the services at peak times.

Junction 22

All services are on the north (clockwise) side of the motorway. On the roundabout itself is the former Bell public house which is now a 24 hour McDonalds. Instavolt 50kW electric vehicle chargers are available in the car park. Payment is by debit or credit card. Just off the roundabout towards the village is a major retail park with an adjacent Holiday Inn Express which, according to Zap-Map, provides electric vehicle charging for customers. The retail park includes a large Sainsburys. The supermarket filling station is probably one of the best places to stop for petrol on the M25. There is a small convenience store attached, hot drinks are available and there is a free cashpoint. This retail park can be very busy but there are cafes in several shops and Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer both have toilets. There is another cashpoint and a pharmacy at the main supermarket. In the village itself there is a hotel and a variety of food outlets. (Updated October 2016)
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Junction 20

If travelling anti-clockwise you can leave the motorway here for petrol or refreshments. Turn towards Watford and rejoin the motorway at Junction 19

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At the traffic lights turn left for two pubs also offering food. If you stop here carry on down Old Mill Road to the petrol station at the junction with the A41.

The petrol station offers electric vehicle charging, a Costa Express with a small seating area and a free cashpoint.

The roundabout where you join the M25 spur can have long delays in the morning peak.

Junction 19

Access to this junction is limited, clockwise traffic can leave and anti-clockwise traffic can join the motorway. It gives access only to a short spur to the A41. However, if you take the A41 towards Aylesbury you pass a petrol station before rejoining the motorway at junction 20. This also provides electric vehicle charging, a range of snacks, a Costa Express coffee facility and a small seating area as well as a free cashpoint
Just as you join the A41 there is a coffee shop on the left. This is open during the day, 7 days a week. At Hunton Bridge there are two pubs offering food very close to the main road. If stopping for petrol continue up the minor road by the exit, otherwise past the petrol station there is a cross roads with traffic lights. Turn right here and the village is just across the canal. This section of the A41 can be very busy in the mornng and evening peaks.

Junction 18

There are two pubs serving food and a petrol station here. On leaving the motorway turn towards Amersham, left when clockwise, right when anti-clockwise.
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 Its a short drive first to the petrol station then to the two public houses. The Gate, on the right is primarily a restaurant, I haven't been in The White Horse. Returning to the motorway be aware that both directions involve a right turn.
The petrol station has a small shop, toilets, a free cashpoint,  a deli2go counter and a Costa Express machine although there is no seating or parking if you want a coffee or snack.