Things to do and see!
Loughborough University is the UK’s top sports university. It is worth exploring it’s world-class equitable, inclusive and diverse facilities while you’re with us. To prove the point, the medal count of athletes who have studied and trained at Loughborough at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics in 2024 was an astonishing 35. Loughborough itself is a market town and is 3 miles from the conference venue. It has a great selection of bars, shops and restaurants and is moments away from attractive villages, canals and countryside. The Carillon in the town centre is a well-known landmark, housing 47 bells in its 152 foot tower, and is visible from several miles away.
Leicester – just 30 minutes away – is home of Leicester City Football Club and Leicester Tigers Rugby Club, and the famous space museum. It is also home to King Richard III’s visitor centre, which tells the story of the most incredible archaeological detective story ever.
If you enjoy long country walks, pretty villages, and pub lunches then head to the Peak District National Park. It is one of the best loved national parks in the UK with wild peaks, rugged moorland and views that stretch forever, and takes less than hour from Loughborough to get there.
If you’d like to stretch your legs nearer to the conference centre, then Beacon Hill and the Outwood’s next to the village, Woodhouse Eves, are great for woodland walks with magnificent views, and are just 4 miles away. Bradgate Park, a deer park with 830 acres of publicly accessible countryside, is 8 miles, and set in the pretty village of Newton Linford.
Stratford-upon-Avon, an hour from Loughborough, is the birthplace and long-term residence of William Shakespeare. Here you can immerse yourself in everything Shakespeare in this riverside market town. Visit the Bard’s timbered birthplace museum, or his wife’s quaint thatched cottage, and then watch the comedies and tragedies at the Royal Shakespeare theatres.
For cycle rides, boat trips and beautiful walks head to Rutland Water, an hour’s drive from Loughborough, and treat yourself to a cream tea afterwards!
York is just over 2 hours away. It is a vibrant festival city with Roman roots and a Viking past, offering an adventure for everyone. A city where ancient walls surround incredible local attractions, shops, accommodation and eateries, with exciting events every day and inspiring festivals every month. As well as being on the doorstep of the glorious Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and Wolds, York has thirty world-class museums you can explore, one of the best racecourses in the country and a thriving cultural scene.
Other local attractions
Please check the websites directly for up-to-date prices and offers.
National Space Centre Exploration Drive, Leicester LE4 5NS
Adult £20.95
Child £18.95
Concession £18.95
PA £0.00
Donnington Park Castle Donnington, Derby, DE74 2BN
Twycross Zoo Burton Road, Atherstone, CV9 3PX
Adult £26.95
Child £19.75
Companion (with Access Card) £0.00
Sherwood Forest Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire, NG21 9RN
Conkers Rawdon Road, Moira, nr: Ashby-de-la-Zouch, DE12 6GA
Adults & Children £11.75 each
Concessions £10.95
Alton Towers Resort Alton, Staffordshire, ST10 4DB
Adults & Children £29.00 online
Companion £0.00
Cinemas
Odeon Loughborough 7 Cattle Market, LE11 3DL
Cineworld Baxter Gate, LE11 1TH
Family Farms
Manor Park Farm & Woodlands Castle Hill, East Leake, Loughborough, LE12 6LU Adults & Children £13.95
Companion £2.95
Stonehurst Farm Bond Lane, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, LE12 7AA Adult £9.50
Child £8.50
Disable & Carer £16.00 Joint entry