Queen's Park - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The Loughborough Carillon was built as a War Memorial to commemorate WW1. It is in Queen's Park, and is a well-known landmark, visible from several miles away. The Carillon was designed by Sir Walter Tapper, and is now grade II listed. The carillon has 47 bells, all of which were cast at John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough. The carillon was built by William Moss and Sons Ltd of Loughborough.

Charnwood Museum is a local history museum in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. This Museum reflects the history and industries of Loughborough and the surrounding area. Permanent displays include: Coming to Charnwood, The Natural World, Living off the Land and Earning a Living. It has a café and a shop and is fully accessible to disabled visitors. It runs many events including art and craft workshops held every school holiday for children, talks, tours and lectures throughout the year.

The Great Central Railway is the UK's only double track, mainline heritage railway. It’s the only place in the world where full size steam engines can be seen passing each other – just as it was when steam ruled the rails. Train rides are available every weekend and Bank Holiday throughout the year and daily in May through to September.

The Outwoods is 110 acres of ancient woodland to the south of Loughborough and is one of the oldest surviving woodland sites in Charnwood. The Outwoods supports a rich variety of plants, insects and birds typical of such old woodlands. The Outwoods is open all year round and the car park and toilets are open from approximately 7am until dusk. Adjacent to the Outwoods is the smaller Jubilee Wood and close by is Beacon Hill.

Beacon Hill Country Park is located only two miles from the M1 motorway, just south of Loughborough, in Leicestershire. It is one of the highest points in Leicestershire and boasts spectacular views of Charnwood Forest and the Soar Valley. Covering 128ha, the Country Park consists of mixed woodland, grassland, open heathland, wetlands and rocky outcrops.

Swithland Reservoir is located just to the south east of Loughborough. The Leicestershire Round long distance trail runs along the north eastern side of the water. It's a very pretty spot with nice views across the water to the surrounding woodland and countryside. Also look out for the steam trains of the Great Central Railway passing over Swithland Viaduct.