Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

Loughborough

Loughborough is the largest town in Leicestershire, apart from Leicester itself.

It is an ancient market town which later became an industrial town and still later a university town.

Loughborough acquired its market charter in the Middle Ages, and also gained its charter for an annual fair at about the same time.

The market, one of the largest in the Midlands, is held in the Market Place twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays. The annual fair, an exhilarating event held over three days in November, takes up, with its rides and sideshows, the Market Place and several surrounding streets.

Loughborough University is widely respected for its excellence in sport. The cricket team is one of the few which recently acquired first-class status.

One of Loughborough's best-known industries is that of bell-founding. The John Taylor foundry is one of only two still operating in this country (the other is at Whitechapel), and has made bells for churches, cathedrals and town halls throughout the world.

In the lovely Queens Park, close to the towncentre, is the Carillon. This is an instrument which plays tunes using the sound of bells. The tower was constructed in the 1920s, and is the only carillon in England which is actually a War Memorial. The melodious sounds of the carillon can be heard all over the town.

The old town centre, around the impressive 14th century All Saints Church, has several old buildings, including a former guild hall where Henry Tudor stayed twice, both before and after becoming Henry VII.

Loughborough was the birthplace of John Cleveland, the Restoration poet. His father was Loughborough's vicar. Another to hold that position was George Davys, who rose to become tutor to the young Princess (later Queen) Victoria.

Blue Badge Guide Colin Crosby was Manager of the Town Hall in the 1970s.

Blue Badge Guide Colin Crosby is available to lead Guided Walks around Loughborough for groups.