Life in Locked Down Loughborough

Lockdown Life in Loughborough

So, it's been a couple of months since I last invited a guest blogger to write a post for the blog the first on the fate of Zeppelin L 20 and its commander, the second about artists in Loughborough, Leicester and Leicestershire. The contribution from today's guest blogger is a little different, in that it's a reflection of what a young twenty-something, who is Loughborough-born, but also a student at Loughborough University, has discovered about her hometown during the period of lockdown, from the end of March 2020 to today. Do, please read on!

"When my mum asked me if I’d write a blog post about my life during lockdown I initially thought, gosh what on earth would I have to write about? Surely, I have nothing worthy to say whilst I’ve been hiding away in my studio flat in student accommodation… Surely other people have had a more colourful lockdown experience?

The truth is, I have felt privileged to reside in the bubble of my student accommodation, continuing my studies towards my PhD accompanied by my partner. Many of my friends are key workers and remained working for the duration of lockdown, other friends have been furloughed but I have continued to receive financial support from my research stipend.

One thing I have been extremely grateful for that I perhaps had not appreciated before, is the extensive nature surrounding my small hometown. I have always known there are many beautiful areas in close proximity to me but it is a shame that it has taken a global pandemic to slow my pace of life and to encourage me to use my two feet and get out there and see what’s about!

Loughborough Canal during lockdown April 2020

It has now been several weeks since we were allowed outside for longer than one hour and for multiple bouts of exercise. Prior to this change, my walks were somewhat short and limited in the freedom but pleasant, nonetheless. I am now extremely familiar with my University’s campus and the treats that can be found hidden in genius places (I am of course referring to Geocaches – I highly recommend looking into Geocaches ⁽¹⁾,  if like me you like to have a purpose to your walk, other than simply walking).

Venturing a bit further than the University my partner and I took some time to explore Burleigh Woods. We followed the trail leading out from the Holywell end of the campus and found ourselves in a lovely woodland area. It has been years since I have explored that end of Loughborough. Our timing was perfect, the tranquility of the wood, the vibrancy of late spring meant there was plenty for us to see. We followed the wood round and peeked out towards the direction of the Priory, normally something I’d only ever see from the roadside.

Burleigh Woods

 

We continued full circle to find ourselves back at the Holywell conference centre. Eager for more “treasure” my partner insisted we continue across the A512, through the playground behind the Harvester [formerly the Sea Around Us] towards the Bluebell Line. When I think about it I really am ashamed I haven’t paid more attention to the history of my little hometown. To think a path I have walked many a time used to be a railway line! By this point my little legs were aching for a rest, much to my partner’s dismay. I promised him we’d return to locate any remaining treasure.

And return we did! Only this time we began our walk by retracing our steps down the path, beginning at the park on Garendon Road, our destination was Booth Wood, with of course plenty of stops for Geocaching. Booth Wood is another area I don’t think I’ve ever paid much attention to, but I’m glad I have now. The woodlands are beautiful, small and compact but encompassing and grand. We explored for a while and ventured on to find ourselves at the Obelisk! Now this was something I’d heard about, thanks Mum! A funny structure, with, as I understand it, the purpose of indicating grandeur and rank of the landowner. 

The Obelisk from Burleigh school playing fields

Having recently learned about the grounds on which the Obelisk was built it felt rather nice to turn my back to the Obelisk and absorb the landscape. A moment of reflection made me rather sad that this landscape would be, and is, changing somewhat with the ongoing building developments. Our walk brought us round to Nether Top Game farm, where we rested a moment and, yes you guessed it, searched for more treasure! If there was monetary value attached to the treasure, I’d surely be wealthy by now with all the treasure hunting I’ve done over the last few weeks. Satisfied with our finds, we continued on to Stonebow Bridge where we crossed the Blackbrook. By now I was definitely ready to return home!

My usual spots for outdoor exercise include the Outwoods, Charnwood Water and Beacon Hill. I have enjoyed visiting new areas, but that’s not to say I have neglected my favourite spots. I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Outwoods (closed during initial lockdown period but “opened” up as rules changed) and observing the change in the surroundings. Ongoing work to reintroduce native trees meant that established non-native trees were felled, which I was initially saddened by, but the motivation seems reasonable. The Outwoods is perfectly spacious and full of lots of little nice spots to stop and observe, making it a perfect place to wander aimlessly.

The Outwoods

Our shorter walks have also enabled us to walk through and explore the local streets, and I’ve been able to reflect on how much Loughborough has changed just during my lifetime let alone across the many decades. Places I have taken for granted such as Queen’s Park and Lodge Farm (although I’m told I’m one of few who refer to it as Lodge Farm  ⁽²⁾), have provided some form of comfort knowing they’re still there and fairly tranquil in this unsettling time when the world is responding to a global pandemic.

Queen's Park during summer 2019

Disclaimer: it should be noted that hygiene precautions were taken when searching for Geocaches!

Footnotes

(1) Geocaches - an item, like a container which holds a number of other items, that has been hidden at a location whose coordinates have been posted on the Internet.

(2) Lodge Farm is the large grassy area off Outwoods Drive, and beside Brookfield Avenue and the Wood Brook, although its postal address is Oakley Drive, and is where I learned to ride my bike without stabilisers. 

About the author

Ursula Davis was born and brought up in Loughborough. She attended Pinfold Gate Day Nursery which was in the Warner School, followed by Holywell Primary School, Garendon High School and then Burleigh. After graduating from Reading University she continued her studies at Loughborough, gaining an MSc, and then went to work at UCAS. She is currently back in Loughborough, where she is studying for a PhD at the university. In her spare time Ursula enjoys power-lifting, cycling and socialising with her friends, as well as growing plants, and the odd bit of macrame!  

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Dyer, Lynne (2020). Life in locked down Loughborough. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2020/06/life-in-locked-down-loughborough.html [Accessed: 14 June 2020]

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Lynne