GENERAL HISTORY

LOUGHBOROUGH DERIVATION OF NAME:
The Old English version is given as "LUHHEDE-BURH", meaning "the fortified place or stronghold of LUHHEDE". This would indicate a fortified settlement named after a now unknown Saxon called LUHHEDE. However, there are at least three other theories as to the derivation of the name.

(1) If "LOUGH' is taken to mean "LAKE" and "BOROUGH" to mean "TOWN", we get "LAKE-TOWN". This has been rationalised by some sources who maintain that the "lake" in question could have been what is now the MEADOWS area.

(2) A second translation of the name is "LEIRE-BOROUGH" as "LEIRE" was once the name for the River Soar.

(3) The DOMESDAY BOOK of 1086 calls the town "LUCTEBURNE". This translates to "the settlement of LUCTE by a small stream". "LUCTE" would again be a personal name but "small stream" seems an unlikely description of the River Soar. Either the stream in question was the WOODBROOK or "burne" is a mis-transcription of "burgh".

THE TOWN:
LOUGHBOROUGH is located in the SOAR VALLEY on a river terrace slightly above the flood plain. THis would have given the earliest settlers an accessible water supply whilst also protecting town from the worst of the winter floods. Other early and originally separate settlements such as THORPE ACRE, KNIGHTTHORPE, WOODTHORPE, SHELTHORPE and DISHLEY were also built on terraced sites. The ground level in LOUGHBOROUGH rises by an amazing 60 metres from the SOAR flood plain to NANPANTAN.

The earliest settlement at LOUGHBOROUGH was confined on the north and east by the SOAR flood plain and on the south and west by the slopes leading up to CHARNWOOD FOREST.

It's position was very important, located as it was on the intersection of a practical route across the SOAR valley with the route of the valley itself. It was also almost equidistant between LEICESTER, DERBY and NOTTINGHAM, making it an ideal trading and transport route.

By the 16th century, LOUGHBOROUGH had a population of approximately 2,000 in an area which is about that of the present town centre. The boundaries of the town were CHURCH GATE in the north-east, HIGH GATE (now HIGH STREET) in the south-east, WOOD END (now WARDS END) in the south-west and the crossing of MILL STREET (now MARKET STREET) over the WOODBROOK in the north-west.

OLD DESCRIPTIONS OF LOUGHBOROUGH:
"In LUCTEBURN, ROGER holds of the Earl eight caracutes of land; RALPH, three caracutes and a half of land; HUGH, three caracutes and a half of land; GODRIC, three caracutes and a half of land; ROGER, half a caracute of land. In the demesne are five ploughs; and eight villanes, with fifteen soke men, and sixteen bordars, have twelve ploughs and a half. There are two mills of ten shillings (value); and forty-five acres of meadow. Wood, seven furlongs in length, and three furlongs in breadth. Five Thanes freely held it".

(DOMESDAY BOOK- 1086) Translated

[The area listed here approximates to 2,280 acres. The population at this time was about 176, one third of which were of Danish ancestry. The woodland mentioned is probably the OUTWOODS.]

"The whole town of Leicester at this time is built of timber and so is Loughborough after the same rate. The town of LOUGHBOROUGH is is largeness and good building next to Leicester of all the market towns in the shire, and hath in it four fair streets or more well paved. The parish church is fair. Chapels or churches beside in the town be none. At the south east end of the church is a fair house of timber, where once King Henry VII did lie. The great stream of Soar River lay as I stood on the left hand of the town within less than a quarter of a mile of it; and thereabout went Loughborough water into Soar".

(JOHN LELAND, 1536) Spelling modernised.

"LOUGHBOROUGH is the largest and best built town in the county next to Leicester".

(CAMDEN, in "BRITANNIA", 1586

"LOUGHBOROUGH, in the Hundred of WEST GOSCOTE, standing upon the River of Soar. Master Camden doth conjecture (by reason of the affinity of the name) that this should be that LIEZANBURG which Marianus Scotus reporteth to be won by Cuthwulfsus the Saxon from the Britons, AD 572.

This town is great and large, well seated, by reason of the wood and water, adorned with many fair buildings, and a large church, and well may challenge the second place of accompt in this County. In the reign of KING HENRY THE THIRD, HUGH LE DESPENSER was Lord of this Manor, to whom the said KING HENRY THE THIRD granted liberty of keeping a market here upon the Thursday and two fairs upon the first day of August, and All Soul's Day, the second of November; to which is brought great store of corn (and all other commodities) from the bordering parts.

But HUGH LE DESPENSER the younger (son of HUGH LE DESPENSER, EARL OF WINCHESTER, son of the above named HUGH LE DESPENSER*) being attainted of treason, KING EDWARD THE THIRD granted this Manor unto HENRY, LORD BEAUMONT, and ALICE his wife and their heirs. But WILLIAM, last VISCOUNT BEAUMONT, taking part with KING HENRY THE SIXTH against KING EDWARD THE FOURTH, being after attainted, KING EDWARD THE FOURTH gave this Manor to SIR WILLIAM HASTINGS, KNIGHT, after created BARON HASTINGS. At what time as KING RICHARD THE SECOND, AD 1387, held a Council at Nottingham Castle, his Marshall fee was kept at this town by the space of six days.

BARON HASTINGS OF LOUGHBOROUGH was created (from) SIR EDWARD HASTINGS, KNIGHT, younger son of GEORGE HASTINGS, first of that house EARL OF HUNTINGDON, by QUEEN MARY, and also Knight of the Garter, to whom he was Lord Chamberlain; but (as others say) Master of the Horse. He was a gentleman of many worthy parts; something melancholy, and (as I have heard spoken) much delighted with chess play, a game well befitting his humour. This game is much used in Barbary.....

... This EDWARD, LORD HASTINGS, was so affectionate to QUEEN MARY, from whom he had received all his honours, that she departing this life, he also bade farewell to the world, and not willing to live any longer to the world, retired himself into a hospital, which himself had built at Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, where with poor people (in service to God and his melancholy thoughts) he ended his course in this life, dying without any issue"

(WILLIAM BURTON, 1622) Spelling modernised.

(* Ie, his grandson)

"In former times, LOUGHBOROUGH had many pleasant woods about and near it; particularly the Forest of CHARNWOOD or Charley on the west and south-west, spreading itself a great way. This is now a forest disaforested; and in respect to timber almost barren, but affording pasturage for cattle, sheep etc being stocked therewith by the inhabitants of many adjacent parishes and places, who have a right of common thereon...

LOUGHBOROUGH stands on gravelly soil, the springs lying high, the water in some parts harder than in others, but in general pure and good; the wells are of no considerable depth, the air for the most part wholesome and its inhabitants healthy. Owing to a variety of entertaining landscape surrounding it, a fine tract of rich meadow ground, edged by the river, lying near it, good roads, extensive prospects, and pleasant walks about it, not forgetting that beautiful wood called QUARENDON (sic) or BUTTON WOOD (sic), the delight of travellers; it is certainly by far the most agreeable situation in the whole county of Leicester....

The late open fields belonging to this town, known by the names of the PARKFIELD, MIDDLE FIELD, TUTHILL FIELD and BURLEIGH FIELD were all enclosed, according to the mode of the times, in the year 1761, as were also the OVER or UPPER MEADOW and the MOOR or COW PASTURE...

Close adjoining to the PARK FIELD,,,, on the farther side thereof next the Forest lies LOUGHBOROUGH PARK and the OUTWOODS, the same being a Park long since disparked... Through these grounds runs a rivulet called the WOODBROOK down to the town of LOUGHBOROUGH and through the same, formerly well replenished with trout and crayfish. At the town's side it supplies a water mill called the MALT MILL and passing the same, through the Lordship, runs into the SOAR...

In the town of LOUGHBOROUGH there is a free grammar school standing in the East angle of the church-yard and consisting of two rooms, one above, the other below, distinguished by the names of the high and low school.....

As to the town of LOUGHBOROUGH.... buildings... are in general but very indifferent.... not the least tincture of elegance graces any one single building in the whole place....

At the lower end of the market place, on the same spot of ground where the old cross stood, stands the present butter and hen cross, the slated roof whereof is supported by eight round brick pillars set up in an octagon form, arched above from one to the other; with an ascent of four stone gradations or steps on the inside..... on the summit hereof is fixed a spindle in a ball, bearing the four cardinal points of the compass... with a proper vane, shewing the sitting of the wind, topped with an Earl's coronet, all of wrought iron manufacture....

"Close to one side of this structure is placed the parish stocks. Near to the Cross also is one of the principal Inns, known by the name of the GEORGE AND THE DRAGON. On the upper end of the said market place stands a ruinous brick edifice, called the Court Chamber, where is annually held the Lord's Leet... but does no more honour to the architect than the shambles and shops underneath it. Adjoining to the shambles, in an obscure corner, is a small prison, or black hole, for the confinement of vagrants and disorderly persons....

The corn market, where stands an old whipping post, some years ago plentifully encircled with bags of corn on a market day; but of late, by artful management, and the iniquitous combinations of avaricious farmers, there has hardly been set out a single bag; but the grain in general hath been bought and sold in the public inns and ale-houses by sample....

Lower down in the market place, and on the other side extending near to the cross stands, detached from all other buildings, a row, or rather clump, of miserable houses, with petty shops belonging to them; an unseemly nuisance, which if removed would render the street now spacious and uniform.....

At the bottom of the High Gate and on the right from the Cross, stands the other principal Inn, known by the sign of the Bull's Head... where the post office and excise office are at present kept.... Nearly opposite to this house runs a long spacious street called the Baxter Gate, leading upward to the common bakehouse.... Turning short at the top of this street on the right is a street called the Pinfold Gate as running towards and beyond the pinfold or common pound and a sorry street it is....

Turning short to the left commences another street called Sparrow Hill, uniting with the upper end of the Church Gate, at the entrance into the churchyard, passing at the same time on toward the town's end for Nottingham Road...

The last street I shall think worth my while to mention is the Wood Gate; this, being perhaps the most spacious street in the town, would, if the buildings were good, make an handsome figure. In former times it was the principal road to those extensive woods which then spread over the whole face of CHARNWOOD.....

LOUGHBOROUGH consists of but one parish, to which belong two hamlets, WOODTHORPE and KNIGHT-THORPE, each about a mile... from the town, having their proper officers and maintaining their own poor... Within the same Parish also... westward, stands... BURLEIGH HALL... which commands pretty prospects around the adjacent country....

By a list returned by the constables of this parish in 1770, it appeared that there were at such time forty-three licensed inns and alehouses therein, a number far more than sufficient to answer any good purpose, were it not for the use made of them to furnish quarters for the King's troops, on the usual occasions...

Here is annually, in the month of October, a COURT LEET held by the Lord of the Manor's steward; whereat are chosen a jury of twelve men, who are occasionally called upon to prevent encroachments in building, planting etc and to decide and settle various kinds of controversies and differences in the parish, touching property, nuisances etc. Hereat are also chose two constables and two thirdboroughs [petty constables], likewise street masters [responsible for keeping order in the street], fieldreeves [overseers of Lord's estates] and pinders [responsible for impounding stray cattle]. Here are also a parish beadle [responsible for keeping order in church and punishing petty offenders], a common crier and a bellman [a night-watchman who called out the time].".

(THOMAS POCHIN, 1770)

"LOUGHBOROUGH - the Lordship of LOUGHBOROUGH is large, was enclosed about thirty years since, and is owned principally by LORD RAWDON. The MEADOWS are extensive, and were formerly used for a race ground. The RIVER SOAR, which borders upon these meadows, separates Leicestershire from Nottinghamshire. From the DESPENSERS, who were Lords of the Manor soon after the Conquest, KING HENRY III granted it to HENRY, LORD BEAUMONT; and in the reign of EDWARD IV it was granted to SIR WILLIAM HASTINGS, KNIGHT. By HENRY VII, it was restored to the BEAUMONT family, and reverted to the crown in the reign of HENRY VIII, who granted it to EDWARD, LORD HASTINGS OF LOUGHBOROUGH, from whom it has been enjoyed by the HUNTINGDON family ever since. LORD RAWDON possess it from his uncle, the late EARL OF HUNTINGDON.

LOUGHBOROUGH PARK has been long since disparked; it lay near the forest. The little rivulet, called the WOODBROOK, supplies a mill called MALT MILL, and passing through the Lordship it joins the SOAR. You pass the SOAR towards NOTTINGHAM, over a chain of bridges in this Lordship, near which is a mill, called LOUGHBOROUGH or KING'S MILL.

The most marking features hereabout are the Forest Hills, and the borders of Nottinghamshire, which in many places are truly picturesque.

LOUGHBOROUGH is a large market town, and it has always been considered the next in consequence to LEICESTER. It stands 109 miles from London, 11 from Leicester, 14 from Nottingham, and 17 from Derby. It was a Royal village in the Saxon times, and was taken from the Britons by CUTHULFUS, the Saxon, about the year of Christ 572. CAMDEN says it was originally called LIEZANBUSSZE or LYZEARBUSSH, in the Saxon tongue; but it is more probably derived from the River Leire, now called SOAR, not far from which the town stands; it might have been more properly called LEIREBOROUGH, a market, or borough town, near the River Leire. HUGH DESPENSER procured for it a weekly market, which is on a Thursday; and two annual fairs, one on the first of August, and the other on the second of November.

Loughborough stands on gravely soil (says Mr Pochin), the air for the most part wholesome, the inhabitants healthy, and the prospects thence beautiful and extensive. Here is a MARKET CROSS, of no mean appearance, built in 1742, and a free grammar school near the church. The upper master's salary is about £50 per annum, with a large, convenient house for boarders. The under master's salary is about £30 per annum. This school was founded, in 1496, by THOMAS BURTON; and was rebuilt in 1748. BURTON speaks handsomely of the buildings of this town in his time; but Mr Pochin, when he wrote his history, says "The best buildings, comparatively speaking, possess not the least tincture of elegance". For my own part, I think that the buildings are far from being indifferent; they correspond strictly with my idea of a trading town, and an industrious people. A great part of the town belongs to LORD RAWDON, who, like his noble uncle, the late EARL OF HUNTINGDON, is friendly to the views and interests of it's inhabitants".

(JOHN THROSBY, 1790) Spelling modernised.

"LOUGHBOROUGH is the second town in the county and was, in the Saxon time, a Royal village. Camden says it was the largest and best built town in the county next to Leicester but it has been very much diminished by fires. It has a large church and a free school, besides a charity school for eighty boys, and another for twenty girls. It is still a very agreeable town, with rich meadow ground on the Fosse, which runs here almost parallel with the River Soar, over which it has a good stone bridge. The new canal has made the coal trade here very extensive. The chief manufactory in LOUGHBOROUGH is woollen in the stocking-branch. The greater part of this place belongs to Lord Rawdon.

The market is on Thursdays. Fairs, March 28th, April 25th, August 12th and November 13th; meetings not proclaimed as fairs, Holy Thursday and September 25th.

The bankers here are Messrs Thorpe and Midleton, who draw upon Messrs Peels, Wilkes and Dickinsons, London. Hours of business from ten in the morning till four in the afternoon. The post office is shut up every morning at eleven o'clock and opened again when all the mails are come in, which is sometimes at one o'clock and other times not before two in the afternoon, as circumstances arise.

The mail-coach arrives here from the Swan-with-Two-Necks, Lad-Lane and the Bull-and-Mouth Street, London - Phillips's stagecoach from Manchester to London, up and down four times every week - Holland's coach from Manchester to London, up and down four times every week - Atwell's coach from Nottingham to London, five times up and five times down every week - Gray's coach from Leeds to London passes through this town - There are three light and three heavy coaches pass through three times a week each.

Clarke has four stage wagons which go through here every week from Sheffield to the White Horse Inn, Cripplegate, London; and two wagons from Derby to the same Inn. Tempest has one from Derby to the Cattle, Wood Street - Bass has three wagons from Ashbourne to the Bell, Wood Street - Nelson's three ditto from Nottingham to the Cattle, Wood Street - Royle's ditto from Mansfield to the Axe, Aldermanbury - Pickford's fix wagons from Manchester to the Swan-with-two-Necks, Lad-Lane, London, all pass through this place.

The principal Inns are the Bull's Head, the George and Dragon and the Anchor".

(BAILEY'S UNIVERSAL BRITISH DIRECTORY, 1792)