Lynne About Loughborough: Towles

Showing posts with label Towles. Show all posts

Sunday, 18 January 2026

Ones to Watch in 2026

Some of the building works I mentioned last week, which aren't yet completed, are obviously ones to watch, but here are some interesting prospects for 2026.

The old Post Office on Sparrow Hill has been vacant since about 2007, and still bears a for sale sign.

The former Towles factory on the corner of Clarence Street and Nottingham Road, now home to the charity SOFA, and the new makerspace and library of things also sports a for sale sign.

Revolutions on Baxter Gate, which used to be the Conservative/Constitutional Club has now been for sale for over a year,

There’s a little house situated between the houses on Forest Road and the leisure centre on Brown’s Lane that is likely to be demolished and replaced by flats.

This is just a very small selection of things to watch in 2026! There are many others that are already happening, and no doubt there will be many more to come that are not yet even a twinkling in anyone's eye!

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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Copyright:

Dyer, Lynne (2026). Ones to Watch in 2026. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/01/ones-to-watch-in-2026.html [Accessed 18 January 2026]

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Sunday, 24 January 2016

Changes in Loughborough

Isn't it funny how things can remain the same for years and years, and then suddenly lots of things seem to change all at the same time?

Some of the things that stand out in my mind are the building of the Inner Relief Road, and all the changes that brought, like the partial demolition of Warner Street School and the butchers, amongst other things. The building of the law courts a couple of years previously, then seemed to make a bit more sense, as its position is now on the side of the relief road.

There are too many recent changes for me to document, but here are a few that I have noticed when I've been out and about in Loughborough recently.

Over the last couple of years, I've been watching with dismay and interest as the former nurses' home on Baxter Gate (built as an auction mart for Garton and Amatt), a Grade II listed building, has first deteriorated and then been taken over and renovated by Pizza Express: here's a couple of photos:

After the demolition of the General Hospital

Soon after the start of the renovation in 2015

At the beginning of 2016

Down by the old Ladybird factory, there's been a bit of derelict land, surrounded by fencing, which is finally taking shape as houses:

In June 2015, from the canal, Ladybird factory in the middle distance

The same view at the beginning of 2016, but with the canal slightly behind me

Fairly close to this, after passing the Herbert Morris works, where, on January 31st, 1916 a Zeppelin bomb landed, a pile of rubble has been transformed into a flat piece of land, presumably on which will be built more homes:

In 2015 there was an interesting pile of rubble, mostly made up of Victorian bricks

In early 2016 the rubble has gone, and the land flattened

In March 2015 I had a look around SOFA, a second-hand shop based in the old Towles factory on Nottingham Road. Going up to the top floor gave me a lovely view across parts of Loughborough, including the patch of derelict land which used to be the site of a dye works (if memory serves me correctly). This looks a little different today:

A view from the top floor of the former Towles building in February 2015

A view from the canal, looking towards the former Towles building

The biggest surprise I had on my latest walk was the changes that are happening down on Sparrow Hill, at Sid Powell's old place. The render has been removed, exposing the brick, and the modern tiled roof has been replaced with slate tiles. Ok, so they're not Swithland slate like the Manor House (now Caravelli's) next door, but, I presume, the thinner Welsh Slate:

Sid Powell's shop (formerly the Shakespeare Inn and the Crown and Thistle) in Jan 2014

The same building in Jan 2016. Renovation also taking place on what is thought to be an old butcher's in the yard behind.

Now, I am waiting with trepidation, to see what is going to happen at Parks Millwrights. Planning permission has been requested to do something to the buildings in the yard. I'm hoping this won't affect the main building.

Sorry if I haven't documented the recent history of your favourite building or piece of land, but I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of the developments that are happening in current day Loughborough.

Sunday, 12 July 2015

Red about Loughborough Part 1!

These last few weeks have been hectic, so all I've managed to do is go out and about taking a few snaps about town, of all things red! Enjoy! And for more pics of red about Loughborough, check out Part 2!

Pillings Lock

On the water

On the water, 2

At the GCR

Inside Towles, now SOFA

The Charnwood Forest Line

Beside the water!

So RIII did visit Lowes, like Henry, after all!

A day at the museum!

Traditionally known as red brick, but are they Tucker's?

At the GCR station

In the GCR worksheds 1

In the GCR worksheds 2

Around the GCR 1

Around the GCR 2

The signals

On the GCR platform 1

On the GCR platform 2

At the Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum

On the GCR line

At the GCR museum

On the GCR platform 3

On the GCR platform 4

Celebrating a 21st birthday at The Plough, Normanton!

Cattle Market 1

Cattle Market 2

At the Midland Mainline station

At the new Baxter Gate cinema/restaurant complex

Sunday, 16 March 2014

Ghost signs of Loughborough

Someone recently posted a question on facebook about ghost signs in Loughborough, so here are a couple of pictures I've taken over the last couple of years. If you know of any more, do let me know, and I'll do a follow-up to today's post. If you don't want to register to leave comments below, you can email me by converting the following to text with punctuation: lynnedotdyeratgooglemaildotcom

There are also a couple of websites associated with ghost signs generally, that you might like to read, including this article from November 2013, the History of Advertising website, a flickr group, and one specifically on Leicestershire ghost signs.