Loughborough - Carillon & Market Place

Essential Intel

Queen's Park at the end usually closes at dusk, so plan to reach it early enough to complete the final section before then.

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Detective Mystery around Loughborough - Carillon & Market Place, with Detectives helping Detective Chief Inspector Hugh Dunnit trace the suspect behind Baxter Gates' abandoned briefcase and blueprints, gathering evidence through Loughborough to uncover who did it.

The investigation covers approximately 1.5 miles and should take around 1.5 hours to complete. You'll begin outside the Odeon Croma cinema at the junction of Granby Street and Cattle Market, then work through the heart of Loughborough's market town centre, Market Yard, the area around the Parish Church of All Saints and on to Queen's Park for the final clues.

This route is wheelchair accessible and pushchair accessible. It follows pavements and clear paths and is pretty level, with no steep hills to tackle.

Take care when crossing roads on the route, especially around Fennel Street, which can get pretty busy at times. When you reach Queen's Park, navigating it in an anti-clockwise direction is recommended for the final section.

Getting There

By car: Start your investigation outside the Odeon Croma cinema at the junction of Granby Street and Cattle Market (LE11 3DL). The nearest car parks to the start are Granby Street (LE11 3DU) and Market Street (LE11 3EP).

By public transport: Make your way to outside the Odeon Croma cinema at the junction of Granby Street and Cattle Market to begin the case. The Trail is circular and returns to the start area.

Need the Loo?

Useful comfort stops can be found at Market Yard after Clue 03, in the Carillon Centre at Clue 04 and in Queen's Park at the end. Bring change, as some charge.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Planning to bring four-legged Detectives? 🐾

The route follows pavements and clear paths, with road crossings along the way. Keep canine companions close around traffic, especially near Fennel Street, and remember that Queen's Park usually closes at dusk.

Food & Drink Stops

Evidence-gathering can work up an appetite, but there are plenty of places to stop or pick up refreshments en route.

If you'd rather bring your own supplies, Queen's Park at the end is the picnic spot to aim for - just make sure you arrive before the park closes at dusk.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Market Place

The route explores the heart of Loughborough's market town centre, where there may be a market on. Keep your Detective eyes peeled for the Town Hall, the Sock statue known locally as Sock Man, the Fearon Fountain and Market Yard.

The Parish Church of All Saints

This was the original focal point of the old town, which later developed around Church Gate, Pinfold Gate, Wood Gate and High Gate, now called High Street. It's also a good place to pause, with the churchyard and Rectory Wildlife Garden offering a calmer moment in the case.

Charnwood Museum

Charnwood Museum used to be Queen's Hall Memorial Baths, and its past comes with some splendidly splashy evidence. When it opened in 1897, the pool was emptied and refilled daily with 70,000 gallons of water, and morning swims cost more because the water was cleanest then. The pool closed in 1975.

Queen's Park and the Carillon

The investigation finishes in Queen's Park, so it's the natural place to unpack supplies and enjoy a picnic once the culprit has been cornered. The park also contains the Carillon, which is 152 ft (46m) high, was completed in 1923 and has 47 bells. Carillon recitals run every Thursday and Sunday, 1pm till 2pm, during the summer months.

Taylor's Bell Foundry

For an optional extra, Taylor's Bell Foundry is about 300 metres east of the route. It has been in Loughborough since 1839, cast Great Paul - the 17-ton bell for St Paul's Cathedral - in 1881, and by 1892 had become the world's largest bell foundry. It still exports around the world.