Rothwell, Northamptonshire
Encyclopedia
Rothwell is a market town
in the Kettering district
of Northamptonshire
, England
. It is located south of Desborough
, southeast of Market Harborough
, southwest of Corby
and northwest of the larger town of Kettering
. It is twinned with the French town of Droué
. The nearest railway station is Kettering
on the Midland Main Line
.
, has witnessed the comings and goings of successive generations. Four thousand years ago Bronze Age
mourners buried their dead alongside offerings of food in vessels. The Romano-British
people, two thousand years later, built a settlement in what is now Rothwell. Dark Age invaders came next and founded the Danish settlement of "Rodewell" or "place of the red well", presumably so-called because of the area's many freshwater springs coloured red by iron and other minerals.
By the early Middle Ages
Rothwell, or "Rowell" as it is known locally, was already a town of some importance, dominating the then smaller settlement of Kettering (a state of affairs which persisted until the arrival in Kettering of the railway). A charter, granted by King John in AD 1204 permitting a weekly market and annual fair, confirmed the trade. Both a market and a fair are still extant. The market is held every Monday and the fair, called "Rowell Fair", takes place on Market Hill during the week following Trinity Sunday
.
The town has a rich history and possesses a large parish church, the longest in the county and complete with bone-crypt
and the Market House built by Thomas Tresham
in 1578. Rothwell was once one of the three largest towns in Northamptonshire
, the other two being Northampton
and Stamford (which is now in Lincolnshire
).
issued a royal charter granting Rothwell the right to hold a market every Monday:
The granting of the charter is celebrated annually by the week-long Rowell Fair. The fair is opened on the first Monday after Trinity Sunday
each year by the Proclamation. Starting at 6am at the west door of Holy Trinity church, the bailiff of the Lord of the Manor
rides through the town accompanied by a guard of halberdiers and the Rowell Fair Society Band. At each public house he pauses to read aloud the charter. At the conclusion of each reading the crowd cheers "God save the Queen and the Lord of the Manor" and the band plays the National Anthem
. The proprietor of the public house then serves the bailiff and his guards with drinks including the traditional Rowell Fair rum and milk. The local townspeople then attempt to disarm the halberdiers before the party moves on to the next public house.
Pubs in the town traditionally remain open after the proclamation, and so much merriment is to be had all through the morning. It has been suggested, however that the traditional route for the fair should be moved to avoid town-centre traffic congestion.
Situated on Market Hill, designed by William Grumbold for the somewhat eccentric Thomas Tresham
(1545–1605) who was also known as "Thomas the Builder" because of his passion for strange and unusual buildings. As a Catholic at a time of religious persecution, he was to spend long periods in prison for his beliefs. Unable to openly practise his faith, he encoded symbols of it into his buildings. The Rushton Triangular Lodge
reflects the trinity
and Market House is cross shaped. Tresham gifted the Market House to the town, of which he was Lord of the Manor, but although work started in 1577 it would be 300 years before it was finished by local architect J A Gotch
.
has a simple facade but has a remarkable interior in a sophisticated classical style. The history of Non-Conformism in Rothwell streches as far back as 1655, making the town the birthplace of the movement in the English Midlands
.
table, complete with three round-headed windows date from the 11th century and the west tower dates from the 1170’s, most of the church is 13th century. The tower at one time had a spire, but in 1660 this collapsed, severely damaging the nave
.
The church is an incredible 173 feet long, making it the longest church in Northamptonshire.
s" in the country, containing the remains of around 1,500 people.
s, along with one from the 1980s, which is a floral decoration in memory of Doris Willcox who died in 1974.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in the Kettering district
Kettering (borough)
Kettering is a local government district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after its main town Kettering where the council is based. It borders onto the District of Harborough in the neighbouring county of Leicestershire, the Borough of Corby, the District of East...
of Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located south of Desborough
Desborough
Desborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England. It is one of the founding 12 members of the Charter of European Rural Communities and through this has links with 26 other EU member towns and villages...
, southeast of Market Harborough
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
, southwest of Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
and northwest of the larger town of Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
. It is twinned with the French town of Droué
Droué
Droué is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.It is 65 km north-west of Blois and is bordered on the south by the Egvonne, a tributary of the Loir River. The population is 1205 ....
. The nearest railway station is Kettering
Kettering railway station
Kettering railway station is to the south-west of the Kettering town centre in Northamptonshire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line, north of London St...
on the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
.
Rothwell - "the place of the red well"
The ridge on which present day Rothwell stands, overlooking the gentle Ise ValleyRiver Ise
The River Ise is a river in Northamptonshire, England and a tributary of the River Nene.The river rises in the very field that hosted the Battle of Naseby at the north-western tip of Northamptonshire...
, has witnessed the comings and goings of successive generations. Four thousand years ago Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
mourners buried their dead alongside offerings of food in vessels. The Romano-British
Romano-British
Romano-British culture describes the culture that arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest of AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a people of Celtic language and...
people, two thousand years later, built a settlement in what is now Rothwell. Dark Age invaders came next and founded the Danish settlement of "Rodewell" or "place of the red well", presumably so-called because of the area's many freshwater springs coloured red by iron and other minerals.
By the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Rothwell, or "Rowell" as it is known locally, was already a town of some importance, dominating the then smaller settlement of Kettering (a state of affairs which persisted until the arrival in Kettering of the railway). A charter, granted by King John in AD 1204 permitting a weekly market and annual fair, confirmed the trade. Both a market and a fair are still extant. The market is held every Monday and the fair, called "Rowell Fair", takes place on Market Hill during the week following Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
.
The town has a rich history and possesses a large parish church, the longest in the county and complete with bone-crypt
Ossuary
An ossuary is a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the skeletal remains are removed and placed in an ossuary...
and the Market House built by Thomas Tresham
Thomas Tresham II
Sir Thomas Tresham was a Catholic recusant politician at the end of the Tudor dynasty and the start of the Stuart dynasty in England....
in 1578. Rothwell was once one of the three largest towns in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, the other two being Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
and Stamford (which is now in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
).
Rowell Fair
In 1204 King JohnJohn of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
issued a royal charter granting Rothwell the right to hold a market every Monday:
John, by the grace of God King, be it known that we have granted, and by this our present charter do confirm to our beloved and faithful Richard - Earl of Clare and his heirs that they may have their market of Rowell on Monday, with all the liberties and free customs to that market belonging as it was formerly [held] on Sunday, so that nevertheless it be not the hurt of neighbouring markets. Besides which we grant and by this our charter we have confirmed to the same Earl Richard and his heirs, that they may have yearly, a fair at Rowell at the feast of the Holy Trinity for and during the five days, that is to say on the eve of the Holy Trinity and on that day and on three following days, so nevertheless that such fair will not be to the hurt of neighbouring fairs. Wherefore we will and firmly declare that the aforesaid Earl Richard and his heirs may and hold the aforesaid market and the aforesaid fair of us and our heirs in perpetuity well and in peace, freely and quietly, rightly, fully and with honour, with all the liberties and free customs as aforesaid.
Witness the Lord H. Archbishop of Canterbury, J Norwich and W. London Bishops etc.
Given at Westminster the 26th day of January, in the fifth year
The granting of the charter is celebrated annually by the week-long Rowell Fair. The fair is opened on the first Monday after Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
each year by the Proclamation. Starting at 6am at the west door of Holy Trinity church, the bailiff of the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
rides through the town accompanied by a guard of halberdiers and the Rowell Fair Society Band. At each public house he pauses to read aloud the charter. At the conclusion of each reading the crowd cheers "God save the Queen and the Lord of the Manor" and the band plays the National Anthem
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
. The proprietor of the public house then serves the bailiff and his guards with drinks including the traditional Rowell Fair rum and milk. The local townspeople then attempt to disarm the halberdiers before the party moves on to the next public house.
Pubs in the town traditionally remain open after the proclamation, and so much merriment is to be had all through the morning. It has been suggested, however that the traditional route for the fair should be moved to avoid town-centre traffic congestion.
The Market House
Thomas Tresham II
Sir Thomas Tresham was a Catholic recusant politician at the end of the Tudor dynasty and the start of the Stuart dynasty in England....
(1545–1605) who was also known as "Thomas the Builder" because of his passion for strange and unusual buildings. As a Catholic at a time of religious persecution, he was to spend long periods in prison for his beliefs. Unable to openly practise his faith, he encoded symbols of it into his buildings. The Rushton Triangular Lodge
Rushton Triangular Lodge
The Triangular Lodge is a folly, designed and constructed between 1593 and 1597 by Sir Thomas Tresham near Rushton, Northamptonshire, England. It is now in the care of English Heritage...
reflects the trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
and Market House is cross shaped. Tresham gifted the Market House to the town, of which he was Lord of the Manor, but although work started in 1577 it would be 300 years before it was finished by local architect J A Gotch
John Alfred Gotch
John Alfred Gotch was a noted British architect and architectural historian. His brother was the Pre-Raphaelite painter and illustrator Thomas Cooper Gotch, who painted his portrait....
.
The United Reformed Church
Built in 1735, Rothwell United Reformed ChurchUnited Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
has a simple facade but has a remarkable interior in a sophisticated classical style. The history of Non-Conformism in Rothwell streches as far back as 1655, making the town the birthplace of the movement in the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
.
Holy Trinity Church
Although the south chancel wall, with its corbelCorbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
table, complete with three round-headed windows date from the 11th century and the west tower dates from the 1170’s, most of the church is 13th century. The tower at one time had a spire, but in 1660 this collapsed, severely damaging the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
.
The church is an incredible 173 feet long, making it the longest church in Northamptonshire.
Bone Crypt
The church has one of only two known bone crypts or "charnel houseCharnel house
A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves...
s" in the country, containing the remains of around 1,500 people.
Misericords
Holy Trinity has seven, late 15th century misericordMisericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s, along with one from the 1980s, which is a floral decoration in memory of Doris Willcox who died in 1974.