Loughborough

Loughborough University

If you are considering moving to our comfortable Loughborough student accommodation, you’ll be applying to study at Loughborough University.

University – This well-renowned public research university is situated in the beautiful market town of Loughborough in the East Midlands. The campus is on a sprawling 440-acre single site, which makes it one of the most unique and beautiful places that you can study anywhere in the UK. This, and many other factors, have led to Loughborough University consistently being regarded by students as having one of the best student experiences around. The campus and grounds have an extensive history, and the picturesque gardens require a team of 29 Grounds and Garden staff to maintain the outdoor spaces. The campus is actually the size of 7,040 tennis courts (if you can imagine what that would look like!).

Consistently, you’ll see Loughborough University in the Top 5 universities in the UK, with high rankings in the league tables every year. Having a degree from Loughborough University on your CV is certainly no bad thing. As well as a focus on research, the university is highly regarded as a great place to boost your employability, as it offers great links to work placements in the industry as well as future career advice of the highest order. Most students will have a year in industry placement as part of a degree when studying here. The Careers Network source and advertise part-time jobs on campus and in the town, and also guides students with CV development. The Personal Best programme is designed to maximize the potential of each student, with practical advice on career opportunities and how to promote your personal skills and attributes in a work setting.

24/7 Library

On the campus grounds, however, you’ll find a 24/7 library during term and revision times. It is an expansive place, the four-storey Pilkington Library, with over 1,300 study spaces and 250 PCs for students to utilise, alongside a large bank of books, journals, and specialist databases.

The Students’ Union

The Students’ Union is home to over 170 different societies and clubs. There truly is something for every interest. The SU is also home to a 4,000-capacity nightclub that’s spread over two floors, places to eat and drink, as well as different volunteering opportunities, community projects to get involved with, and plenty of fun weekly events throughout the year. The university has an impeccable sporting record (it has been British Universities and Colleges Sports -BUCS- Champions for 40 years!) and is a place where many students study for the sporting experience.

A Bite To Eat

It won’t all be hard work when you move here for university. Sometimes, in between the studying you’ll want to step out from your comfortable student accommodation in Loughborough and go for a bite to eat. This could be to fill up with a tasty breakfast or brunch before heading to lectures, as a post work treat with friends, a date, or somewhere nice to take your parents when they are visiting Loughborough. It is no surprise that a vibrant market town like this has some exciting food options, we’ve taken the time to point out a few of them for you.

Authentic Pizza

Peter Pizzeria (Ashby Square) – Everyone loves pizza, don’t they? If you are looking for that traditional slice of Italian pizza, with a thin and crispy base and loads of tasty toppings to choose from, this pizzeria down on Ashby Square is definitely the place to go. It has a modern, industrial-style décor and is a popular destination for both students and locals alike.

Chocolate Alchemy (Churchgate Mews)

If you love chocolate, this previously hidden gem of the town has become a popular haunt, and with very good reason. The artisan chocolatier has a wide range of speciality chocolates, as well as serving traditional Afternoon Tea. Definitely, a place that will impress your parents when they come to visit.

Fernandez Grillhouse

This is truly one of the favourite student places in town. It was always the original place for students to hang out, long before the chain restaurants arrived, and it’s managed to hold its own. One for the meat lovers, this grill house has a menu packed full with tasty flame-grilled meats, although they do also serve up some pretty good veggie dishes. It’s a place you should always go to on an empty stomach because there’s a lot to eat here!

Dolcino at Cattle Market

There’s no way that Dolcino could be left off this list. It is a gelato palace, with a range of flavours for those of you with a sweet tooth to indulge in. It’s décor is very much of a 1950s American Diner vibe, and when the weather warms up towards the end of the school year, you’ll find it packed out with students eating up the waffles and drinking down the delicious smoothies, whilst choosing gelato with such flavours as Ferrero Rocher and Lemon Cheesecake.

Centro Lounge

In the Baxter Gate complex, Centro Lounge is part of the relaxing and comfortable Lounge group. The bar/restaurant is the perfect place to relax with friends around a table. The menus are great, with different offers on during the week, small plates through to large plate British classics that offer up a hearty feed. Centro Lounge is also a fantastic place to go if you are looking for vegetarian and vegan options. It is great for a date, a group of friends, or visiting family, one of the best all-rounders in town whether you are looking for breakfast, a burger, tapas, or cocktails.

Amazing Nights Out

With a smaller town such as Loughborough, it’s important to get to know the nightspots and the student-friendly nights out as soon as possible after moving into your new Loughborough student accommodation, Luckily, you’ll be right on the doorstep of some amazing nights out, that you’ll remember forever.

Loughborough Students’ Union

This is the most popular destination for a night out for students here, and is just a short walk for the vast majority of students. It is set in the very heart of the beautiful campus and is a vibrant, exciting place to go for a night out. The Union building has plenty going on during the day and night, with a gastropub on-site and a Chinese restaurant as just two things to get involved with once your study is over for the day. The 4,000-capacity nightclub though is amazing. It has three different rooms and plenty of bar space, so there’s never an issue queuing for drinks, with a wide variety of live music and other events throughout each week and loads of different genres of music played to get people on the dancefloor.

The Paget Arms

One of the most popular pubs in Loughborough for students, The Paget Arms has a really relaxed vibe to it. The décor is very retro and there is a really good outdoor space that is well used in the warmer months for BBQs and beer festivals. The menu is also very good, with juicy burgers and other pub grub staples. If you are on a student pub crawl in Loughborough, The Paget Arms will always be on the list.

The Griffin

There’s always some sort of offer or student-friendly event going on at The Griffin. It’ll soon become your second home after your student apartment in Loughborough. The pub has loads of framed pictures on the walls, big TV screens throughout for all the latest live sports action, a heated beer garden that makes it a great spot all year-round, and a specials menu serving up some hearty pub grub.

Echo’s Night Club

Away from the Students’ Union, Echo’s is the best nightclub for students to go to town. It’s easy to find, located in the very centre of the town. Echo’s is a good place to go out for a big party at the weekend, with the many events in the LSU keeping you busy during the week! There’s always a big offer or event that is student-friendly, so keep an eye on the different theme nights.

The White Hart

A traditional British pub with candles on every table, dog-friendly, locals that are welcoming to students, and a wide selection of ale and ciders at the bar. The beer garden is a great place to sit during the summer months, and the food menu is decent pub grub. Definitely, one to place on the pub crawl map and for a quiet pint with friends after a day at uni.

The Best for Competitive Sport

With such a fine reputation as the best university for competitive sport in the whole country (40 years of success in the BUCS league will attest to that), it is no surprise that there is plenty of sport for you to get stuck into from your new student accommodation in Loughborough home.

University Sport

There is no better place to start than here. With Loughborough University celebrating 40 years as the BUCs champions, you can expect to see some of the finest sports people in many different sporting events, both team and individual, studying and competing alongside you. If you want to compete for fun, to make new friends or to try and compete at a more elite level, there is something for everyone at Loughborough University sports.

My Lifestyle

This is a great way to try out many different sports at university without the commitment of the entire year ahead. You can turn up and play for free, try out sports you have absolutely no experience in and find the right type of sport for you to take forward through your time at university. There is a different sport happening every night, and this could be the gateway to your sporting pursuit of choice for many years to come.

Athletic Union

There are around 55 clubs in the Athletic Union, with regular training sessions and competitive matches in the BUCS league. This is a great way to compete at a pretty elite level if you wish, to make new friends and build a great social life around the sport, and to stay fit and healthy with regular exercise.

Football

With its prime position in the East Midlands, Loughborough is close enough to some amazing, historic football clubs with great traditions. Nottingham Forest and Notts County in Nottingham and Derby County are not too far away, but Leicester is only 10 minutes away by train. Here, you can visit the home of the 2015/2016 Premier League Champions, Leicester City, who play their home games at The King Power Stadium. Why not head on down and watch the Foxes pit their wits against some of the best teams in the world of football.

Rugby Union

For those fans of Rugby Union, Leicester is also home to the historic Leicester Tigers. Playing at Welford Road, the Tigers are regularly found competing at the top of the league and it is definitely somewhere you can see some of the best Rugby in the country outside of the international game.

Cycling Scenic Routes

For cycling, there are some incredibly scenic routes around campus and the surrounding countryside for you to try out. The Cloud Trail is one of the most exciting things to try out, with a route that takes you along the disused railway and canal towpath between Derby and Worthington.

Climbing Centre

Climbing is a really enjoyable way to get fit and to make new friends. This indoor climbing centre is perfect for those experienced climbers or people wanting to give it a try for the very first time. You’ll meet a lot of different people here, including other students, locals, and children. There is a café on-site and a large bouldering area to make use of.

Essential Shopping

Shopping is such an important part of our lives, whether you think you enjoy to shop or not. When you first move into your new Loughborough student accommodation, you’ll want to get those cupboards filled with essentials and you’ll find that there are recognisable supermarkets and shops for you to do so, as well as familiar items in the shops located at the Students’ Union and around campus. Aside from those essentials though, what else can you expect to find in terms of shopping in Loughborough?

Carillion Court

The main shopping centre is easy to find, right in the very centre of Loughborough. It is here that you’ll find a range of high street stores and big brand names that you’ll instantly recognise. This is the place to go if you want to update your wardrobe, buy some tech or electrical items, or just for some retail therapy with a spot of food and drink in one of the cafés or restaurants that can also be found inside the shopping centre. The Rushes Shopping Centre is the other big shopping centre in town, with a range of recognisable stores mixed with an independent flavour.

Loughborough Market

Is there a better way to really get to know a new place you live in than to venture out to the regular local market? Loughborough Market is open for trading every Thursday and Saturday in Market Place. It is so good, with many varied selections of local traders and produces to buy. It was voted the Best Outdoor Market in Britain as recently as 2017, so you can get a fair indication of what to expect from that. Traders will also spend a day on campus at the University, and the market has been a staple of life in the town for as far back as the 13th century.

Independent Retailers

Walking around Loughborough you’ll quickly discover that there is a genuine independent feel to the shopping scene here, even in a shopping centre such as The Rushes. One great example of this is Ohh Deer in The Rushes, which is home to a collection of independent illustrators creating some amazing gifts and a range of stationery. Along Church Gate and Church Gate Mews you’ll discover a host of boutique shops and artisan stores, bars and restaurants, as well as specialist shopping for music, body artwork, and health and beauty supplies along Leicester Road.

WHAT EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS ARE THERE IN LOUGHBOROUGH?

Your student apartment in Loughborough is in an ideal location to make the most of the many events and attractions that take place in the town throughout the year. There are some incredible sights and events going on, so make sure you take them in during your time living in the town.

Loughborough Town Hall

The Town Hall is the venue in town that hosts a wide variety of events and performances throughout the year, including theatre shows, live comedy and music. It is a beautiful listed building set in the very heart of the town. A wonderful place to see a live performance, or to stroll around one of the interesting exhibitions.

John Taylor & Co Bell Foundry Museum

The largest working bell foundry in the world can be found in Loughborough. John Taylor & Co has a history dating back to the 1300s, casting bells for cathedrals and churches across the world. The museum is worth booking in advance for, as it is a rare sight, as the foundry continues to cast, repair and retune bells in factory buildings from the Victorian era.

Art Deco Architecture

After a host of construction work in the 1930s, Loughborough was left with a lot of Art Deco architecture. It makes it an incredibly pretty town to walk around and look at the buildings, if you are into architecture and design. The best way to see the town in this light is to look at the beautiful elevations along Market Street, the echo building on Swan Street or the curving Beacon Bingo building on Baxter Gate. The Grade II-listed cinema on Cattle Market has been a gem since it was built in 1936.

Loughborough Fair

A fair that can be dated back to a charter being granted in 1221 by King Henry III, Loughborough Fair takes place every November, with over 20 large fairground rides, waltzers, dodgems, stalls and a lot of fun are open over four days. The fair is certainly one of the highlights on the town’s calendar and a great time to have fun with your new friends and get to know the locals.

Explore the Country

Your new Loughborough student accommodation is in the perfect place to explore the delights of this lovely East Midlands market town, the surrounding countryside, but it is also the perfect location to explore the rest of the country when you have some time to spare. Loughborough is just a short train or bus ride away from some of the bigger towns and cities in the East Midlands, as well as being within 2 hours journey time of Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, and London. The choice is yours whenever you want to slip away for a day or a weekend to visit some other places.