Charnwood Borough Council

This walk takes in the historic buildings and other places of interest within Loughborough Town Centre. It guides you around the town utilising dropped kerbs and pedestrian crossings where possible. Accessible to all the route takes approximately one hour to complete, but you may want to stop off for a picnic on the way! For complete details of the trail read on.

If you would like to borrow a wheelchair or propelled scooter (free of charge) to explore the Town stop at the Shopmobility Office in the centre of Loughborough (free car parking for Shopmobility users).

LOUGHBOROUGH
Loughborough, with its unique atmosphere and wealth of historic buildings, is a pleasure to examine on foot. Loughborough is the main town of the Borough and has been the second largest town of Leicestershire since the time of Elizabeth I. The first surviving document to give Loughborough a recognised name was the Domesday book of 1086, where Loughborough was recorded as 'Lucteburne'. The meaning of the name 'Loughborough' is still debated.

This leaflet describes a tour of Loughborough; it guides the explorer to some of the interesting sights and tells a little of the history along the way. The route begins and ends at Loughborough Town Hall, which houses a splendid restaurant, so that after you have enjoyed your trip you can relax in comfortable surroundings. The route has been chosen to utilise pedestrian crossings and ramped kerbs suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs where they are available.

Where no road crossings are present you will see this sign 'Please take extra care'. Please be careful when crossing all the roads.

Town Trail

Loughborough Town Hall was erected in 1855 as a Corn Exchange, by a company of local businessmen, at a cost of around £8000. If you're ready to start the trail, as you are standing looking at the Town Hall, turn to your left and walk down Market Place. Loughborough's Market Place is the scene of a lively open air market every Thursday and Saturday, dating back to a charter granted by King Henry III in 1221. The drinking fountain in the centre was presented by Archdeacon Fearon in 1870 to commemorate the town's first clean water supply. The plaques surrounding the fountain depict Loughborough's twin towns. The Market Place is flanked by some impressive buildings, the banks being some of the most magnificent. At the bottom of Market Place, use the crossing to the right hand side of the bus stop to cross the main A6. When over the road, bear left into Baxter Gate. Use the small pedestrian crossing, so that you are walking on the right side of the street. Loughborough Hospital, 100m along on your right, built in 1862, was originally a two storey building. The extra floors were required as additional wards to treat the growing population of Loughborough. Continue up Baxter Gate enjoying the many splendid buildings, until you see the Post Office ahead of you. Use the crossing to go back across Baxter Gate and then continue straight ahead along Sparrow Hill. You'll see the Parish Church now. As you stand on the corner you are in one of the oldest parts of Loughborough. To your right is the Manor House.

Sketch by kind permission of Brian C. J. Williams.

'The Manor' was an estate awarded by King William I to the Earl of Chester, but it passed to other lords during succeeding centuries. The Manor House was built in 1477; at least one wall of this and an open fireplace are now part of the restaurant in Sparrow Hill.

Part of the long building, opposite the Parish church was a guild hall which served as a hospital in the middle ages. The hall was reputedly the resting place of King Henry VII before the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The roof on the long, low building is an excellent example of local Swithland slate. Next cross the road and go into the church yard itself, using the entrance opposite the low building.

All Saints Parish Church is still one of the largest Parish churches in the county, and indicates the prosperity of mediaeval Loughborough. Much of the church dates from the 14th and 15th Centuries. The headstones in the churchyard are made of Swithland slate. On some you will notice practice lettering at the bottom of the slabs, probably crafted by apprentices, and originally intended to be hidden below ground. Underground springs have been tapped beneath this ground since ancient times.

Photograph by kind permission of Bob Gibson

When you have finished looking around the churchyard, walk out of the main gate onto Steeple Row, turn right and head towards the Old Rectory situated just beyond the present Rectory. The Old Rectory houses a museum which is open on Saturdays from April until September. The rest of the site is open at all times. The oldest parts of the building date back to around 1200, and this area was the basis of the original settlement, indeed, Toothill means 'The watching post.' In 1344 the Rector was taxed at 44 Marks and paid 4 Shillings for Peters Pence (this record shows that he had one of the largest incomes in the country). There are many stories of secret tunnels connecting the Old Rectory and the Manor House to the church. There is evidence that some of these tunnels exist, but they were probably a form of drainage system.

At the rear of The Old Rectory you will find a wildlife garden. This is a community project, and serves as a sanctuary for wildlife. When you've finished investigating this site, walk back along the path and when you reach the street, cross the road bearing left. Walk through Rectory Place where stands Chesterton House. Founded in 1850, this was the home of one of the first Girl's Grammar Schools in England. Turn left again, on to Fennel Street, and enjoy the buildings on your left. Cross Fennel Street as you pass the Old Labour Party building and then walk down the pedestrianised street named Church Gate which you will find on the right. Church Gate is the sole surviving principle street that retains its original medieval width. Here you will find a selection of smaller independent shops. The old pink kerbstones made of local granite from Mountsorrel show the chisel marks of the quarrying instruments. At the end of Churchgate turn right then cross the road. By the taxi rank you will see Dead Lane, take this path if you dare! This was reputedly the way victims of the plague were taken to their burial pits. The name is traceable to the 15th Century. At the road (Shakespeare Street) cross carefully towards the School: when digging foundations for this school skeletons were discovered. It is believed that these could be the remains of people who died during the plague. Continue along Dead Lane until you reach a larger road (Bridge Street), facing you is the old Fire Station. Turn left, continue to the end of the road and turn left again into The Rushes.

Optional Section

If you want to explore the Canal, use the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side Bridge Street and then turn left. After you pass a medical practice on your right, you'll find Canal Bank. The canal is hidden from the road by a red brick wall, but if you enter Canal Bank the wharf is clearly visible. Be careful as there is no footpath here. You should retrace your steps after exploring, to this junction, to join the trail.

As soon as coal began to be mined in large quantities, inland waterways developed to carry the heavy loads. The Wharf at Bridge Street linked the town to the River Trent, Gas and Electricity Works were built nearby as coal was delivered here. The canal system was extended to Leicester in the 1790s and eventually formed part of the Grand Union Canal. In 1924, eight years after an attack on Loughborough, an unexploded aerial torpedo was found in the Canal. It is presumed to be from the same raid that devastated The Rushes. To examine the buildings in the Rushes turn left at the end of Bridge Street.

The Rushes:
On the 31st January 1916, during World War I, Loughborough was attacked by a Zeppelin (a German airship). Until this incident no precautions had been taken as it was generally believed that the Germans could not reach the Midlands with aerial attack. However, the lights at the Empress Road Works and the theatre must have attracted the airship. After this blackouts were observed!

You may notice that many of the roads around the centre of Loughborough have names relating to the stream that now runs under the town, for example Swan Street, The Rushes, and Brookside. When you reach the next pedestrian crossing use it to cross towards "Carillon Court" the shopping centre, and then proceed up the road to the right of this entrance: Derby Square. At the top turn left to access Market Street, which was pedestrianised in 1997. You will secure a full view of Loughborough Town Hall from this direction. Continue up Market Street until you reach the Town Hall.

Now you reach the place from where you started. 'The Sock' was sculpted by Shona Kinloch in 1997 and represents Loughborough's historical past in a modern, startling and whimsical form! Turn right, then right again into Granby Street. After you cross a minor road named Packe Street, turn around and admire the sculpted stone inlaid into the red brick wall.

Continue along Granby Street, until you reach the Carnegie Library. In front of Loughborough Library is a statue donated by Loughborough's French twin town, Epinal. It depicts a young boy extracting a thorn from his foot, and is a copy of a similar statue in Rome and Epinal. The terracotta part of the library was built in 1905. Cross the road outside the library, and head into Queens Park. As you enter Queen's Park you will notice an impressive hall on the right, this has many uses, at the rear you will find a small cafe. Queen's Park took this name in 1897, to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Carillon Tower
is the imposing building at the centre of the park. The Carillon was built of local bricks and topped with a copper roof, and is a memorial to the men who died in the 1914-1918 War. Within the building is a museum run by volunteers of the British Legion.

The 47 Bells of the Carillon (a musical instrument played from a keyboard similar to that of a piano, which is attached to the fixed bells) can be heard on Market days. The bells were cast at the nearby Bell Foundry. The Foundry is one of two still working today in Britain, and has cast many fine bells, including 'Great Paul', for St. Paul's Cathedral London. The view from the top of the Carillon Tower is superb (151 feet, or 138 steps), with Charnwood's landscape laid before you.

From the entrance of the Tower, walk straight ahead, past the children's play area and out of the park. When you reach the main street turn left and back into the town centre. You will be able to see the prominent clock of the Town Hall, which is slightly angled so that it is more visible from the street.

Before you reach the clock you will see The Cinema on your right, this is recognised locally as a building of historic interest. The cinema formerly 'The Empire' was opened in 1936 and was state of the art at the time, with air conditioning.

Carefully cross this road to the pavement outside the cinema. The stained glass windows of the original Empire cinema are still visible from Town Hall Passage, which is the first arch of the Town Hall building as you approach from the cinema. Walk up here about 50m, and look to your right to see the original stained glass windows.

This concludes the walk.

Charnwood Borough Council hope you enjoyed your trip into history.