Lynne About the Streets of Loughborough

Peel Drive is one of the pedestrianised routes to the John Taylor Bellfoundry, and one might assume that it is so named because of this proximity to the bellfoundry. But, of course, if this were the case, then the road would be Peal Drive, not, as it is, Peel Drive. To establish the origin of this street name, we need to look at some of the other streets in the area … Let’s start with Cobden Street. A couple of quotes to begin with: “Richard Cobden was a radical politician who was jointly responsible for creating the Anti-Corn Law League, which was about abolishing the laws that taxed imported wheat, making products like bread more expensive for people to buy. In Loughborough we have a school and a road named after Richard Cobden.” [1] “Cobden Street at the end of which is Cobden Street School … [is] likely named for Richard Cobden, who was one of the founding members of the Anti-Corn Law League in 1838 and was the only person ever to beat [the Prime Minister of the time] in a deba