Loughborough Stadium

Loughborough (/ˈlʌfbərə/ (listen) LUF-bər-ə) is a large market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. Is 59,933 inhabitants in the 2011 census were estimated at 67,956 in 2019, as the county's second largest settlement. It is close to the Nottinghamshire border and at short distances from Leicester, Nottingham, East Midlands Airport and Derby. It has the world's largest bell foundry, John Taylor Bellfounders, which made bells for the Carillon War Memorial, a landmark in the Queens Park in the town, of Great Paul for St Paul's Cathedral, and for York Minster.

History

Medieval

The earliest reference to Loughborough was as "Loughburne" in the 1086 Domesday Book. It appeared in a charter from the reign of Henry II as Loughburga, and in the Pipe Rolls of 1186 as Loughburc. The name means "Lough's borough or fortified place".

Industrialisation

The first sign of industrialisation in the Loughborough district came in the early years of the 19th century, when John Heathcoat, an inventor from Derbyshire, patented in 1809 an improvement to the warp loom, known as the twisted lace machine, which allowed mitts with a lace-like appearance to be made.

Heathcoat, in partnership with the Nottingham manufacturer Charles Lacy, moved his business from there to the village of Hathern, outside Loughborough. The product of this "Loughborough machine" came to be known as English net or bobbinet. However, the factory was attacked in 1816 by Luddites thought to be in the pay of Nottingham competitors and 55 frames were destroyed. This prompted Heathcoat to move his business to a disused woollen mill in Tiverton, Devon.

In 1888 a charter of incorporation was obtained, allowing a mayor and corporation to be elected. The population increased from 11,000 to 25,000 in the following ten years.

Among the factories established were Robert Taylor's bell foundry Jo