Beacon Hill

An early start today, with the long drive to Loughborough to visit Monty; we left at about 5.30 am to avoid the traffic near London. As we headed north, the weather took a turn for the worse and we finished our journey in heavy rain. Breakfast at Centro Lounge to start the day right, definitely a tradition I will miss when Monty graduates this year and leaves Loughborough behind. Afterwards we showed Gubs around the university, as it was his first visit.

The next order of business was a wet and windy walk at Beacon Hill, just a few miles outside the town—we were lucky and escaped the worst of the rain. Later, we struggled to think of something to do on such a cold and dismal afternoon. It turned out that Liv & Milo were having precisely the same problem in Nottingham, so we all met up at The Phantom pub in Loughborough for warmth, dryness, pool and a bit of rugby on the telly. Next, supper at the excellent Peter Pizza (wild boar and chilli honey for me) and then a really, really early night at our Travelodge.

A little bit of history that I looked up…

Loughborough, a town with a history spanning over a millennium, has evolved from a small Saxon village into a thriving university town. Its earliest recorded reference appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Lucteburne," an Old English name meaning "Luhhede's fortified place." At that time, it was a modest settlement with a population of approximately 180-200 people.

During the medieval period, Loughborough grew into a bustling market town. By the 13th century, weekly markets and annual fairs had been granted, attracting traders from a wide area. This period of growth continued, and by the late 16th century, the town's population had reached around 2,000. The Tudor and Stuart eras saw the founding of Loughborough Grammar School in 1495 by Thomas Burton, a wealthy wool merchant. However, the town also faced challenges, including outbreaks of plague in 1558, 1602-1603, 1609, and 1631, as well as a devastating fire in 1622.

The Industrial Revolution marked a significant turning point for Loughborough. The opening of the Loughborough Canal in 1778 facilitated trade and local manufacturing, while the arrival of the railway in 1840 further accelerated the town's growth. In 1855, the relocation of John Taylor & Co bell foundry to Loughborough added to the town's industrial identity. The Victorian era brought further progress, with Loughborough being granted borough status in 1888. The population grew rapidly, from 4,500 in 1801 to over 10,000 by 1841, supported by infrastructure improvements such as a clean water supply in 1870 and the town's first drainage system in 1857.

The 20th century saw Loughborough continue to develop, with the construction of the Carnegie Library in 1905 and the establishment of Loughborough Technical Institute in 1909, which laid the foundation for the town's future as an educational center. The institute evolved into Loughborough College in 1920, gaining international recognition for its vocational teaching approaches. Under the leadership of Herbert Schofield, the college expanded significantly, acquiring the Burleigh Hall estate, which became the core of the present-day 438-acre campus. In 1966, following the Robbins Report, Loughborough College of Technology was granted a Royal Charter, becoming Loughborough University of Technology. Subsequent mergers with Loughborough Training College in 1977 and Loughborough College of Art and Design in 1998 further diversified the university's academic offerings. In 1996, the institution simplified its name to Loughborough University.

Today, Loughborough is recognised for its diverse industrial heritage and its status as a significant educational centre. With a population of 64,884 as of 2021, the town continues to thrive, blending its rich history with modern advancements.