Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre

01/05/2026

🎉 Rowell Fair Tarts Competition is HERE! 🎉

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and celebrate one of Rowell’s most delicious traditions!

Think you’ve got what it takes to bake the perfect Rowell Fair Tart? Now’s your chance to shine ✨ Enter our competition for a shot at some fantastic prizes!

👩‍🍳 Open to all ages – adults and children welcome!💷 Just £1 to enter!

Pop into Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre to grab your entry form and secure your spot.

⏰ Bring your freshly baked tarts on Saturday 30th May by 10:30am🏆 Judging begins at 11:30am

🥇🥈🥉 Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place

🌟 Special prizes for children too

Don’t miss out on the fun, the flavour, and the friendly competition - get baking and show us your best tart!

Good luck everyone! 🍀

28/03/2026

Discover the Life of Jim Dale!!

Visit The Jim Dale Room (upstairs at Rothwell Arts & Heritage Centre) and explore the extraordinary life of Jim Dale — a talented actor, comedian, director, singer, songwriter, and narrator born right here in Rothwell! 🤩❤️

👦🏽👧🏻 Children can join in the fun with a FREE “Jim Dale Quiz” and WIN a prize too! 🍭

See Peter next door in the Janet Bassett Art Gallery for a small reward — and the answers — afterwards!

🌟 While there, browse the Janet Bassett Art Gallery showcasing artwork by local artists. Painting, cards and pottery available to purchase at great prices! 🖼️ ❤️

🌟 Have a look downstairs at our displays and learn about the history of Rothwell. 🥾 👢 🏫 ⚽️ 🎾 💍

🌟 PLUS why not treat yourself to a light refreshment at the Heritage Tearoom -

• Hot Drinks ☕️ 🫖
• Milkshakes and juice🥤🧃
• Cakes 🍰 🧁
(See menu for more options)

Have fun and enjoy a visit to remember this Easter holiday! 💛🎥 🎭 🎶 🧙‍♂️ 😍

🕰️ Opening hours

Mon - 10am - 3pm
Thurs - 10am - 3pm
Fri - 10am - 12:30pm
Sat - 10am - 12:30pm

We look forward to seeing you! 👋

20/03/2026

🌟 Remember our Easter Coffee Morning and Chocolate Easter Egg Tombola is on tomorrow!! 🌟 🐰 🥚 🍫

💛 Saturday 21st March - 10am-12:30pm 💛

Enjoy a refreshment with family and friends in our cosy Heritage Tearoom. ☕️ 🫖 🧃🥤See our menu for a selection of cakes and other lite bites. 🍰 🍪

Plus have a go on the Chocolate Easter Egg Tombola - only £1 for 3 tickets!! 🎟️ 🎟️ 🎟️ Good luck 🤞🍀 🍫 🥚 😋

While you’re here why not have a look around at our displays showing the wonderful history of Rothwell. 🥾 🥿 ⚽️ 🏫

Upstairs you can find the Janet Bassett Gallery. Rothwell with incredible artwork on sale by very talented local artists. 🖼️ 😍

Also, upstairs showcases an amazing exhibition all about Rothwell-born show business star Lovingly put together by his late brother Mick Smith 🌟 From family to fame! 🎭 🎤 🎥 🎙️

The Arts and Heritage Centre Rothwell has a Coffee morning and Easter Egg tombola Saturday 10am-12.30pm come on in and enjoy. As well the Janet Bassett Gallery has its exhibition to browse around with some beautiful artwork.
Open 10am-12.30pm.

05/03/2026

We’re celebrating World Book Day too today! Which house do these Hogwarts’ students belong to?! 🧙‍♀️ 🧙‍♂️ ⚡️ 🪄 ✨ 🏰 📕

Calling all Harry Potter fans!!

Did you know Rothwell-born celebrity Jim Dale voiced over 100 characters for all 7 of the US Harry Potter audiobooks? Wow! 🤩 Jim also holds Guinness World Records for it too! 👏 🏅

Come and have a look for yourself at the incredible Jim Dale exhibition at Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre and see some amazing HP memorabilia! ✨ 🧢 🎙️📕

Mick Smith, Jim’s late brother, put together the wonderful exhibition about Jim’s life and show business career. 🎭 🎥 📺 🎶

Come in and have a look around! 🤩

06/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who sent their snowy photos of Rothwell to us, they were wonderful 🩵 ❄️ 📸

The ‘Rothwell in the Snow’ display is ready to be viewed at the centre. Come in and see it for yourselves, bring your family and friends too! 😍 👏

Why not have a browse around the rest of the centre that showcases artefacts from over the years. Upstairs hosts an amazing exhibition about Rothwell-born show business star Jim Dale 🌟 🎥 📺 Plus there’s the Janet Bassett Gallery with artwork for you to purchase by local artists. 😍 Finish off with a refreshment in The Heritage Tearoom ☕️ 🫖 🍰

17/01/2026

This is the first in a series of revived photographs we have in our Archives. We might assume that this was an article in the local newspaper, the Evening Telegraph, with no information our archive team would work on this to date and credit the author. The photograph was restored by AI is along side the original print.

When it was movie time at the Oddfellows
THIS view of Taylor and Sons Footwear on the corner of New Street, Rothwell, was taken in 1966.
Many years earlier, the building was the Oddfellows Cinema.
It was a pretty primitive place as a cinema with a hand operated projector and a piano to provide the sound.
The Oddfellows couldn't compete with the Regals, the Odeons and other well-known cinemas which were springing up around the county and it was eventually taken over by a cinema combine.
Even this couldn't save it and the building closed as a cinema in the forties.

15/01/2026

It would seem that AI generated images are not only making the news on the national and world wide stage, but they have also reached our little corner of Northamptonshire.
A number of images purporting to show notable historic features of our town in times past in scenes which have been generated by AI to show a picturesque view or simply a pretty picture have no foundation in the historical record.

Two examples will demonstrate the point:
One image shows a group outside our Woolpack Inn in Bridge Street – the sign calling it ‘The Guardian Arms’
No such pub with this name has ever been in Rothwell.
The Woolpack Inn dates back to 1741 and has always had that name. Evidence gives us an early history as a coaching inn with a Farrier operating on site as late as 1929, along with a longish list of innkeepers at various times.

A Victorian Wedding in Rothwell.
No as this AI generated image shows a wedding group in front of the West Door of Holy Trinity with cast iron gates, only installed in the late twentieth century.

Whilst many will see this as a bit of fun – how do we at the Heritage Centre respond when asked to identify the people in the image?

Jane Houghton
Cheryl Everett

12/01/2026

Rothwell in Northamptonshire looked even more beautiful in the snow recently 😍 ❄️ 🩵

Sadly it didn’t last long but to help keep your snowy memories going we’re putting together a ‘Rothwell in the Snow’ display.

It’d be great if you could share your snowy photos of Rothwell over the years or any artwork too in the comments below for us to add to our display.

Please add the year and whereabouts in Rothwell it was. (No AI photos please.)

We can’t wait to see your photos/artwork and showcase them at Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre for everyone to see. Thank you! 🩵 ❄️☃️ 🌨️

08/01/2026

UPDATE

WE ARE CLOSED TODAY Sorry for any inconvenience

Closure notice ;
If there is heavy snowfall then the Heritage Centre will be closed tomorrow (Friday 9th)

05/01/2026

THIS IS NOW STARTING ON 5TH FEBRUARY

Do you know someone who finds the internet confusing or needs help with digital skills such as:

Job searching and online applications

Applying for benefits

Booking GP appointments online

Accessing online courses and services

We are running a NEW 4-week Digital Skills course in Rothwell, designed to build confidence and practical skills.

📍 Location: Rothwell
👤 Who can join? Anyone aged 19 or over
📅 Course length: 4 weeks

📞 To sign up or for more information, call KCU on:
01536 481989