Loughborough’s Great Cheese Sale of 1778

7 August 2020

The River Soar Navigation, also known as the Loughborough Canal, was opened in 1778. It brought great prosperity to the town, transporting large amounts of coal as well as other goods and raw materials.

The importance of the Wharf can be judged by the fact that in August 1778 the first ever Cheese Sale was held there. The sale drew traders and customers from as far away as Yorkshire and Norfolk. This marked the beginning of the Loughborough Canal Wharf (known as The Rushes) as a true inland port.

The extension to Leicester was completed in 1794 which further increased the town’s prosperity. 

Article written by the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteers.