Loughborough

Encyclopedia : L : LO : LOU : Loughborough

This article is about the English town. For the lake in Ontario, see Loughborough Lake.

Loughborough's carillon

Loughborough parish church

The Brush engineering works

Loughborough (pronounced LUFF-burra or LUFF-bruh) is the largest town in Leicestershire, England (the City of Leicester excluded). The population of the town in 2001 was assesed at 55,492[link]. It is the administrative centre for the Charnwood district.

In 1841 Loughborough was the destination for the first ever package tour organised by Thomas Cook, for a temperance group from Leicester. The town has the world's largest bell foundry — John Taylor Bellfounders — who made the bells for the Carillon war memorial, a landmark in the town.

To the south of the town centre lies the Shelthorpe Estate - a large council estate, and the largest in the country when built in the 1920s and 1930s. On the edge of Loughborough to the north, Dishley Grange Farm was the home of agricultural revolutionist Robert Bakewell. The farm is currently home to the annual Leicestershire County Show.

Loughborough has its own newspaper, the Loughborough Echo, but in common with many towns and villages in Leicestershire is also served by the Leicester-based Leicester Mercury.

Notable Loughborough natives include Albert Francis Cross, the journalist, author, poet and playwright who was born in Moor lane on May 9th 1863, as well as Big Brother's Bonnie Holt

Loughborough University is the largest campus university in the UK (at 433 acres) and is situated on the west of the town.

Contents

1 Transport

1.1 Rail
1.2 Road
1.3 Waterway

2 Shopping
3 Recreation
4 Twinning
5 External links

Transport

Rail

Loughborough is serviced by the Midland Main Line, with a station located on the eastern outskirts of the town. This line offers high-speed transportation to and from London. There were at one time three railway routes to the town: the Midland line still operating; the Great Central Railway with its own Central station, closed as a result of the Dr Beeching cuts; and a branch line from Nuneaton, part of the erstwhile London and North Western Railway.

The Great Central Railway line is now the terminus from the south of part of the Great Central Steam Railway heritage railway; plans are in hand to reopen the line to north also.

Road

The M1 also passes about 2 miles (5km) west of the edge of town: junction 23 is the connection. Local buses are operated by Arriva, Centrebus and Kinch Bus^{(Article is for the parent company)}

Waterway

The River Soar passes through the town; at this point it is named the Loughborough Navigation, and is part of the Grand Union Canal system.

Shopping

The centre of Loughborough's shopping area is the pedestrianised Market Place. A large outdoor market is held on Market Place every Thursday and Saturday, a smaller flea market is held on Fridays and there is a monthly farmers' market. Major chains with shops in Loughborough include Tesco, J Sainsbury, Boots the Chemists, Thorntons and Argos.

'The Rushes' shopping centre has recently been built on the site of the old bus station and includes JJB Sports, M&S, Woolworths and more recently Virgin Megastore. The Rushes is linked to the existing town centre area by the Churchgate & Churchgate Mews; the latter includes many individually styled boutiques, a beauty salon and one of Loughborough's more widely known retail outlets, The Left Legged Pineapple, an independent record shop.

Recreation

The Rugby Union club, Loughborough RFC play at the Derby Road playing fields.

Other sports teams include the non-league Loughborough Dynamo Football Club, and the Loughborough Aces (Collegiate American Football). There is also a netball league which plays at the Charnwood Leisure Centre. The town was once home to a professional football club, Loughborough F.C. who played in the Football League during the late 1800s.

Situated just outside of the Town Centre is the Great Central Railway, based at Loughborough Central Station, which operates every weekend throughout the year. This includes a Restaurant service served onboard the trains most weeks on Friday Evening*, Saturday Lunchtime and Evening+ and Sunday Lunchtime, along with an Afternoon Tea service onboard the 3.15 departure in the afternoon. The railway provides a transport link to the villages of Quorndon, Woodhouse, Rothley, Thurcaston, Swithland, Belgrave and Birstall. From May 'til September every year the railway connects with a Tour Bus at the Leicester North terminus which provides a link to places such as the National Space Centre, Abbey Pumping Station, Abbey Park, Leicester City Centre and Leicester London Road Railway Station. The railway provides a Griddle Car serving a wide variety of meals and refreshments onboard most services. Services run every Saturday and Sunday all year around using a fleet of Steam and Diesel Locomotives, and Diesel Railcars. The railway is world renouned for being the only Double Track Main Line Steam Railway in England, almost certainly the world.

In November the annual street fair takes over the centre of the town and closes the A6, and numerous other roads, to traffic. The fair runs from Thursday afternoon through to Saturday night, bringing visitors from Loughborough and surrounding villages, such as Quorndon, Mountsorrel and Sileby. The fair consists of many different rides for all age groups, amusement arcades, food stands and games. Popular treats to be had include brandy snaps, Grantham biscuits and mushy peas with mint sauce, along with the traditional burgers, hot dogs and chips.

Twinning

Loughborough is twinned with:

External links

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