Loughborough Plaque Trail

Walking the Plaques Trail

Walking the Plaques Trail: A virtual walkaboutLoughborough, taking in plaques – blue, green, white brown and others – which have been installed by various bodies to celebrate or commemorate an important event, place or person in Loughborough’s history. Snippets of info about the items in question accompany each picture. Devised and created by lynneaboutloughborough.

Originally published as a blog post, March 2018: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2018/03/walking-plaques.html Enlarged, revised and updated April 2020.

There are many commemorative plaques to be found around the town and on the edges of the town, and they are a variety of colours.  They’ve been installed by various bodies, and where I know what this was, I've included info and/or a link. Where possible I've included a photo of the actual plaque in question and a photo to show it in context. I’ve also included a few things that aren’t strictly commemorative plaques, just to add a bit of interest for you!

There are other virtual walks on lynneaboutloughborough for you to try including the Lace and Luddite Trail, the Zeppelin Trail, the Sculpture, Art and Architecture Trail, and the Three Towers Trail.

So, let’s get walking!

The plaques are arranged in as logical a walking order as could possibly be managed, but this isn’t a circular walk. We will begin our walk on Leicester Road, where it joins Shelthorpe Road and end at the Midland Mainline railway station on Nottingham Road. But, of course, you can choose to start wherever suits you best, and you can pick just to visit a couple of plaques in any area.

1

Location – archway at the bottom of the Shelthorpe Estate at its junction with Leicester Road

Detail – coat of arms, showing various elements from the coat of arms of the Hastings family,  and plaque concerning the planting of the trees in the area, both commemorating the award-winning, garden-city-style design that is the Shelthorpe Estate

What else to see in the general area – the cemetery chapels further up Leicester Road – the Loughborough Endowed Schools buildings further down Leicester Road, on the left – the Lodge to Aingarth (formerly Elms Lodge) also further down Leicester Road, on the right.

2

Location – gate piers to the TA building just beyond the bottom of the Shelthorpe Estate at its junction with Leicester Road

Detail – Brown commemorative plaque, installed by Charnwood Borough Council

What else to see in the general area – the Loughborough Endowed Schools buildings further down Leicester Road, on the left – the Lodge to Aingarth (formerly Elms Lodge) also further down Leicester Road, on the right.

3

Location – Factory Street on house next door to the Peacock
⏩ - turn right off Leicester Road 

Detail – Green plaque commemorating the innovative textile manufacturer William Cotton who lived in this property. Installed by Leicestershire County Council  

What else to see in the general area – a blue plaque back down Leicester Road – white plaque on the gates to Southfield Park

4

Location – John Heathcoat’s House, Leicester Road
⏩ - retrace your steps along Factory Street and turn right back onto Leicester Road

Detail – Blue plaque commemorating the lace-manufacturer John Heathcoat who was living in this property at the time the Luddites attacked his factory on Mill Street (now Market Street) in 1816. Installed by Charnwood Borough Council

What else to see in the general area – white plaque on gates to Southfield Park, just down Leicester Road - Green Plaque further up Leicester Road and off to the left down Factory Street

5

Location - Thomas Cook at Southfields Park, Leicester Road, almost directly opposite Heathcoat's house

Detail – White plaque commemorating the first “package tour” from Leicester to Loughborough, a Temperance Society outing, including fun and games on Southfields Park

What else to see in the general area – Blue Plaque a little way down Leicester Road – a Green Plaque further down Leicester Road and off to the left down Factory Street

6 

Location – Council Offices on Southfields Road

⏩ - turn left off Leicester Road

Detail – tiled mosaic featuring elements of the Hastings coat of arms on the floor directly in front of the entrance to the Charnwood Borough Council offices

What else to see in the general area – a Green Plaque further down Southfield Road and past Park Road

7

Location – on house wall on Castledine Street 
⏩ - continue along Southfields Road, turn left into Victoria Street, follow it round into Burton Street, at the end of Burton Street turn left and immediately let into Stanley Street and then right at the end, where the house can be found a little way down on the right

Detail – Green plaque commemorating Kathleen and Nora Corcoran, daughters of Dr Corcoran, who were active, local Suffragettes. They lived in The Shanty, but the plaque has been placed on the wall of the neighbouring house. Installed by Leicestershire County Council

What else to see in the general area – further down Castledine Street on the opposite side of the road a 1930s Art Deco Grade II listed garage, once owned by a member of the Taylors Bellfoundry.

8

Location – Town Hall, Market Place
⏩ – from Castledine Street/Stanley Road, turn right into Park Road, right into Burton Street, right into Victoria Street, cross Southfields Road at the pedestrian crossing (Noodle Bar and chip shop), and at the pedestrian crossing over Wood Gate, and turn right into Wards End. Continue straight down until you get to the Market Place

Detail – Brown plaque commemorating the mobilisation of the troops for WW1. Installed by Charnwood Borough Council

What else to see in the general area – Green plaque and artwork in the shopping centre

9

Location – entrance to Carillon Centre from Market Street
⏩ – from the Town Hall, walk down Market Street and turn right down towards the entrance to the Carillon Court shopping centre

Detail – Green plaque commemorating Angel Yard, the former home of the publishers of Ladybird Books, before it moved to Beeches Road. Installed by Leicestershire County Council

What else to see in the general area – inside the centre and to the right is an artwork showing a boy lying down reading, situated in the Carillon Centre

10

Location – entrance to Iceland on Market Street
⏩ – retrace your steps from the Carillon Court shopping centre and turn right into Market Street. Continue down Market Street until you reach Iceland.

Detail – Green plaque commemorating the former factory of John Heathcoat which was attacked by Luddites on the night of 29^th June 1816. Installed by Leicestershire County Council

What else to see in the general area - Masonic Hall

11

Location – entrance to the Masonic Hall (formerly the Carillon Rooms, and Independent Congregational Chapel) on Orchard Street
⏩ – continue along Market Street to its junction with Ashby Square, cross to Orchard Street

Detail – commemorating 200 years of Freemasonry, and 129 years of meetings in Loughborough. Installed by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland.

What else to see in the general area – along Swan Street, a granite cross in the middle of the road, and a commemorative plaque under the canopy of the stairs to The Rushes shopping centre 

12

Location – Swan Street a commemorative plaque under the canopy of the stairs to The Rushes shopping centre
⏩ – walk along Orchard Street, at the end turn left into The Rushes

Detail – commemorating the site of the falling of Zeppelin bombs on The Rushes, and those who were killed in the attacks. Paid for by public subscription

What else to see in the general area – see also the granite cross in the middle of the road

The Zeppelin memorial installed on the 100th anniversary of the falling of Zeppelin bombs

13

Location – Bottom end of Church Gate at its junction with Biggin Street
⏩ – walk back along The Rushes towards town, turn left into Biggin Street

Detail – White plaque commemorating the pedestrianisation of Church Gate in 1980 and installed by Loughborough and District Civic Trust

What else to see in the general area – Blue Plaque a little way up Church Gate and off to the left down Warners Lane

  
14

Location – a wall on Warner’s Lane, off Church Gate
⏩ – walk up Church Gate and turn left into Warners Lane where the plaque can be seen on the left

Detail – Blue plaque commemorating the former Non-Conformist (Unitarian) Church which used to be in this area. Robert Bakewell, prominent local agricultural pioneer attended this church. Installed by Charnwood Borough Council

What else to see in the general area – white plaque at bottom of Church Gate at its junction with Biggin Street

15

Location – notice about Henry VII 
⏩ – continue along Warners Lane and at its end turn right into Biggin Street. At the top of Biggin Street. At the top of Biggin Street cross the top of Church Gate and cross at the pedestrian crossing. Continue along the upper part of Church Gate towards the church, but cross the road before reaching it

Detail – Lowe’s the furnishers has been on this site for around 150 years, and the sign suggests that Henry VII may have stayed in this building

What else to see - Blue and Green plaques at Taylors Bellfoundry

16

Location – a pair of plaques on part of the Taylor Bellfounders factory on Freehold Street
⏩ – from the corner of Lowe’s building at the junction of Church Gate and Sparrow Hill, turn right into Sparrow Hill, cross at the pedestrian crossing, cross Sparrow Hill at the International supermarket, enter Cradock Street and turn immediately right into the housing estate. At the Mario Tinenti Centre building turn left and then take the path into the estate on the right. Follow the path through to the green, and then turn left and then right into Freehold Street. At the junction of Freehold Street and Cobden Street turn and look at the belltower

Detail – Blue plaque commemorating the life of John William Taylor I who worked and lived on the factory site, 1859-1906. Green plaque commemorating the work of the Bellfoundry at this site since 1859, installed by Leicestershire County Council

What else to see in the general area – brass plaque on Empress Road  

17

Location – Empress Road on the side of a house near the Herbert Morris factory
⏩ – from the Bellfoundry, continue along Freehold Street, cross Queen’s Road and enter Empress Road. Continue down Empress Road, where the plaque will be found on the former factory on the left-hand side, directly after Robert Hardy Wharf.

Detail – brass plaque commemorating the site of the falling of Zeppelin bombs, and those who were killed in the five attacks.

What else to see in the general area – granite cross in the road opposite this plaque – blue and green plaques on Freehold Street 

18

Location – Gainsborough House on Nottingham Road
⏩ – retrace your steps along Empress Road, turn right into Queen’s Road and at its end turn right into Nottingham Road. Continue down Nottingham Road where the house will be seen next to the Magnet kitchen shop

Detail – Gainsborough House was the home of Thomas Tyler who trained Sunloch, a horse which won the Grand National in 1914. Installed by Leicestershire County Council

What else to see in the general area – a white plaque on the railway station building – plaque commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the creation of the British Junior Chamber – artwork on the flats on Station Boulevard

19

Location - Thomas Cook at the railway station
⏩ – the railway station is directly opposite Gainsborough House

Detail – commemorating the first “package tour” from Leicester to Loughborough, a Temperance Society outing, including fun and games on Southfields Park

What else to see in the general area – Loughborough Junior Chamber plaque also commemorating the outing on the 50^th anniversary of the British Junior Chamber – a red telephone box – a VR wall inset post-box – the GCR bridge over the mainline – the artwork on the flats on Station Boulevard – a green plaque on a farmhouse on Nottingham Road

And this is where our trail ends. From where you are standing, back into the centre of Loughborough is a short walk: walk out onto Nottingham Road and continue along its length, crossing Clarence Street, passing the former Putts decorating shop, several new and newish blocks of flats, where the road to your left will be Nottingham Road. You can go along Nottingham Road, but it's a more straightforward journey if you stay on The Coneries, crossing Sparrow Hill, passing the Beacon Bingo, and crossing Fennel Street/Coronation Way. You'll find you are on Baxter Gate, where you'll pass a Pizza Express, a cinema complex, and if you continue along Baxter Gate, the Market Place will be on your left. 

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2020). Loughborough Plaque Trail. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/p/walkingthe-plaques-trail-walking.html [Accessed 3 May 2020]

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