Tourism website launched to help visitors Discover Charnwood

A website to promote Charnwood’s exciting offer to visitors has been launched.

Discover Charnwood has been developed by the borough council to showcase the area’s unique story along with its wonderful attractions and vibrant towns and villages.

Charnwood’s landscape was sculpted by the forces of nature nearly 600 million years ago and its unique geological history is of global importance. At the heart of the borough is Loughborough, home to the last working bell foundry in the UK, 800-year-old markets and fairs, Great Central Railway, and the renowned Loughborough University.

Cllr Jonathan Morgan, Leader of Charnwood Borough Council, said: “Charnwood is quite simply world-class in every way. We have stunning landscapes which help tell the tale of our evolution, fascinating heritage, and a bold and bright future.

“Discover Charnwood brings all of this into one place so we can better tell our story, promote the area to visitors and encourage them to stay for longer and explore.”

Cllr Shona Rattray, the Council’s lead member for business support, said: “We have created Discover Charnwood to support the local tourism economy and the many businesses it involves.

“We will be promoting the Discover Charnwood website over the coming months to help attract more visitors to the area and clearly in this digital age, we also want to drive visitors to the websites of our local businesses and attractions so they can take bookings.

“We want to work with the local tourism sector to develop the site and make it work for everyone.”

The borough of Charnwood includes a host of attractions and distinctive features. Part of it lies within Charnwood Forest which with its rich geological and quarrying history and other unique characters is bidding to become a UNESCO Global Geopark. Geoparks are areas of international geological significance which are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education, and sustainable development.

Taylor and Co Bellfoundry in Loughborough is also unique. Taylor’s is the last working bell foundry in the country and supplies bells that can be heard around the world. It is currently planning a £5 million revamp to preserve it and improve the visitor experience.

The borough is also home to the stunning landscapes of Bradgate Park, Beacon Hill and the Outwoods plus many hidden gems like Morley Quarry at Shepshed.

The Council has developed the website with tourism specialists Leicestershire Promotions.

Martin Peters, chief executive of Leicestershire Promotions, said: “Discover Charnwood is a fantastic platform for bringing more visitors to the area. We now look forward to working with accommodation and attraction operators developing exciting package offers and creating even more reasons to visit.”

A leaflet to celebrate the area’s heritage is also being developed and it will be launched in the next few weeks.

To find out more, visit www.discovercharnwood.co.uk.

You can also follow @DiscoverCharn on Twitter and if you want to share your pictures of the area, use the hashtag #DiscoverCharnwood.

The Discover Charnwood website has been funded thanks to the Welcome Back Fund, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

ENDS