Understand
Loughborough's fortunes were built on engineering and textiles. Now, however, the largest employer is Loughborough University, this has a dramatic impact on the town. The 14,000 students account for around one in four of the town's population. This gives the town a younger profile than you might expect in term time but makes the place relatively quiet during the summer.
The university has a 437 ac campus on the mostly residential western side of the town. The campus occupies a band running west from the ring road to the edge of town, splitting the northern estates from the Forest Side in the south-west. The eastern side of the town, close to the canal and the railway lines is generally older, includes the town centre and contains more of the town's industry and industrial heritage.
In recent years, the university has sought to promote itself as a centre of excellence for sport. It now hosts facilities for a number of national associations including the headquarters of the Amateur Swimming Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board ECB's National Cricket Performance Centre. Loughborough will provide the main camp for 'Team GB' in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics and the university's facilities will be also be used by the Japanese Olympic team.
