If visiting Loughborough in Leicestershire, the best things to do include the Great Central Railway, the bell museum and escape rooms.
My old home town of Loughborough, bless it, is not exactly a tourist magnet. However, plenty of people do visit this Leicestershire town for work, or visiting friends and family at university. And there’s a decent chance that they want something to do, so here goes…
Bear in mind that this guide sticks strictly to attractions in Loughborough itself. It you want suggestions for things to do in the East Midlands, head this way.
Things to do in Loughborough: Ride Great Central Railway
Billing itself as the UK’s only mainline heritage railway, the Great Central Railway runs between Loughborough and Leicester. If you want to take a ride on a steam train or vintage diesel train, this is one of the easiest places in the country to do so. Make sure you check the somewhat erratic timetable in advance, however.
Loughborough activities: Climb the Carillon Tower
Inside the relatively central Queen’s Park, the 46 metre-tall Carillon Tower has a viewing platform that offers views over the town and Soar Valley. It’s a 133 step climb to the top. The Carillon was built as a war memorial in the 1920s, and the tower contains some very dusty museum exhibits relating to the war. These will struggle to retain the attention of anyone but close relatives.
The highlight of the visit is the bell chamber, which contains 47 bells. Each sounds a different musical note, and collectively they can be played as a carillon.
Loughborough attractions: Discover Taylor’s Bell Foundry
If you find the bells particularly interesting, then Loughborough is home to one of the last remaining bell foundries in the UK. Taylor’s Bell Foundry has cast more than 25,000 bells since opening in 1839, and they have been exported to more than 100 countries around the world.
The Loughborough Bell Foundry Trust runs a small museum on the site that looks into the company’s history and the bell-making process.
What to do in Loughborough: Go for a walk in Garendon Park
Loughborough’s main city park – Queen’s Park – isn’t especially impressive. It comes with benches and well-maintained flower beds, but it’s a place to hang out in rather than go for a walk.
For a decent walk, most Loughborough residents will plump for the nearby Beacon Hill in Woodhouse Eaves. However, Garendon Park at the western edge of Loughborough is a good alternative. Walk through the woods and you’ll eventually encounter a 25 metre red brick obelisk and the Temple of Venus, a somewhat bizarre 18th century rotunda.
Break Escape and the Climbing Station
At this point, you’re on to the sort of attractions you can find in most medium-sized towns. Perhaps the most fun thing to do in Loughborough is to take on the escape toom at Break Escape, trying to solve puzzles to get out of the room within an hour. There are several different games available here, so you can visit more than once.
The Climbing Station, meanwhile, is aimed largely at people who are already into climbing and bouldering. However, it does offer beginner introductions and sessions for children.
