Serviced Apartments in Loughborough

Discover the best activities and attractions Loughborough has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Great Central Railway (Loughborough Central)
A well‑preserved heritage steam and diesel railway running from Loughborough Central toward Leicester North, the Great Central Railway offers nostalgic train rides, themed events (seasonal steam galas, Santa specials, murder mystery dinners) and hands‑on volunteering opportunities. Its authentic stations, restoration sheds and special events make it a major draw for families, railway enthusiasts and school groups. Impact: the railway generates significant visitor footfall, supports local hospitality and retail businesses, provides volunteer and paid roles, and helps sustain heritage skills and tourism income in the town.

Charnwood Museum
A free, local museum in the town centre that showcases Loughborough and the Charnwood area’s archaeology, social history, geology and natural history through permanent and rotating exhibitions, family activities and school programmes. Its accessible displays and community‑led exhibitions connect residents with local heritage and biodiversity. Impact: the museum is an educational resource that brings school groups and visitors downtown, strengthens local identity, supports cultural tourism and provides programming that benefits community learning and wellbeing.

Queen’s Park (including the Carillon and Bandstand)
Queen’s Park is a large Victorian park close to the town centre featuring a boating lake, formal gardens, children’s play areas, sports pitches, and the Carillon war memorial/bandstand, which hosts concerts and community events. It’s a popular spot for casual recreation, seasonal festivals and park‑based performances. Impact: as a green lung for Loughborough, the park improves resident health and quality of life, attracts families and event visitors who then spend in nearby cafés and shops, and provides a venue for community gatherings that boost local cohesion.

Loughborough Market and Independent Dining Scene
Loughborough’s historic market (regular market days) combined with a compact town centre of independent cafés, pubs and restaurants creates a lively shopping and eating destination. The market offers fresh local produce, crafts and street food, while nearby independent venues provide a diverse culinary range—from traditional British pubs to international and artisanal options. Impact: the market and food scene sustain small businesses and market traders, create local employment, keep the high street active, and draw day visitors who support the wider town economy.

Loughborough University and Town Events
Loughborough University is a major employer and international research centre, renowned for sports science and engineering. The campus brings students, researchers and visiting events (public lectures, sporting fixtures, degree shows and community outreach) into the town year‑round. In addition, Loughborough hosts regular cultural events and festivals (food and community festivals, heritage days and student‑led performances) that animate the calendar. Impact: the university and events ecosystem are central to the local economy—stimulating housing, hospitality and retail demand, fostering innovation and spin‑outs, and providing cultural and sporting opportunities that enhance the town’s profile and civic life.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Loughborough, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Rail (Loughborough railway station) - Located on the Midland Main Line, the station provides regular regional rail services connecting Loughborough with Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield and direct/limited services toward London St Pancras; services are operated by East Midlands Railway and provide a key link for commuting and longer-distance travel.
- Local buses - A network of local and interurban bus routes serves the town and surrounding villages, linking residential areas, the town centre, retail parks and nearby towns such as Leicester, Nottingham, Shepshed and Coalville; multiple commercial operators run frequent daytime services on core corridors.
- University and campus shuttles - Loughborough University runs dedicated shuttle and campus bus services for students and staff, connecting halls of residence, university buildings and the town centre, often timed to term-time schedules.
- Park-and-ride and town centre bus facilities - Central bus stops and a town-centre interchange (bus stops on Baxter Gate / Swan Street area) facilitate transfers between local routes and town-centre destinations; Park-and-ride schemes have been proposed or trialled to reduce town-centre traffic.
- Community transport and demand-responsive services - Community minibuses and dial-a-ride schemes operate for older residents and those with mobility needs, complementing fixed-route public transport.
- Long-distance coach connections - While most national coach services call at larger regional hubs, Loughborough has coach stops and good road links to nearby coach termini, providing onward connections to airports and major cities.

Major Highways
- M1 - Principal north–south motorway nearby, giving fast access north toward Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds and south toward Leicester and London.
- A6 - Major A-road running through Loughborough, providing direct links to Derby (to the west/northwest) and Leicester (to the south).
- A60 - Key route connecting Loughborough with Nottingham and local towns to the north.
- A512 - Important regional route linking Loughborough with surrounding settlements and providing access to M1 junctions and industrial areas.
- A6004 (Loughborough Ring Road) - Town ring road (inner/outer sections) that helps distribute traffic around the town centre and connect radial routes.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Cycle network and routes - Loughborough has a mix of on-road cycle lanes, quieter signed cycle routes and off-road multi-user paths linking the town centre, residential areas, parks and the university; the local authority and community groups have promoted cycling through route wayfinding, traffic-calmed streets and connections to regional cycle routes to support commuting and leisure cycling.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Station and accessibility enhancements - Recent years have seen station investment and ongoing upgrades at or around the railway station to improve accessibility, waiting facilities and passenger information, plus improvements to pedestrian links between the station and town centre.
- Bus priority and service improvements - Local authorities and operators have introduced timetable and service revisions to improve frequencies on key corridors; targeted bus priority measures and interchange improvements have been implemented or proposed to speed journeys and improve reliability.
- Active travel and cycling schemes - Charnwood Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council have funded walking-and-cycling improvements, including new or upgraded cycle lanes, secure parking, and safer crossings to encourage modal shift for short trips and commuting.
- Road junction and corridor upgrades - Schemes to improve traffic flow and safety on A-roads around Loughborough (including junction improvements and maintenance works) have been completed or planned to reduce congestion and improve access to the M1.
- Integration and ticketing developments - Ongoing efforts to better integrate bus and rail travel include improved timetable coordination, digital passenger information and ticketing options to simplify multi-modal commuting.
- Planning-led transport interventions - Town-centre redevelopment and housing/ employment growth plans contain transport elements (parking strategy, demand management, sustainable travel measures and targeted public-transport enhancements) designed to improve connectivity within Loughborough and links to the wider East Midlands region.

Note: specific project timing and scope can change; for the latest details check Leicestershire County Council, Charnwood Borough Council, East Midlands Railway and local bus operator updates.