History Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England.
It had a population of 57,600 in 2004. It is the second largest settlement in
Leicestershire after Leicester, is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council, and
the home of Loughborough University.
In 1841 Loughborough was the destination for the first package tour,
organised by Thomas Cook for a temperance group from Leicester.
University Loughborough University is becoming increasingly popular and sought after for many
students, mainly because of its academic success. Loughborough University is the country's
premier university for sports development, research and education. The University has the
largest sports scholarship programme in the UK. Currently over 250 international athletes
are studying and training there.
Shopping
The centre of Loughborough's shopping area
is the pedestrianised Market Place and Market Street, which maintain a number of original
art deco buildings, such as the building that currently houses the town's cinema. A large
outdoor market is held in the Market Place every Thursday and Saturday. There is a monthly
farmers' market. The first mention of a market in Loughborough is in 1221.
'The Rushes' shopping centre has also been built on the site of the former bus
station and is occupied by national chains.
