Articles

The Rothwell Arts and Heritage Centre, situated on Bridge Street, Rothwell, opened in 2004. The heritage collection is displayed on the ground floor with two further rooms on the first floor. The art galleries occupy a further two rooms on the first floor. To the rear of the Centre, there is a patio area and two refurbished units which can be hired by groups.

The exhibition of heritage items is quite extensive and aims to document the life and culture of Rothwell and surrounding areas from nearly the end of the nineteenth century to today. There is a vast collection of documents and photographs, many of which relate to the shoe industry, which was a substantial employer in Rothwell.

From January 2012, the galleries will be renamed Bridge Street Galleries. There are two display areas. The larger of the two will be holding six weekly exhibitions for both arts and crafts. The other smaller gallery space will be used for exhibitions by solo artists or small groups. It is hoped that many other genres of art will be explored during 2012.

Events already planned include an exhibition in January by local artist Marilyn Harrison entitled ‘Abstract in all Mediums’, and a first exhibition in February by Ian Wilson entitled ‘Painting by Pixels’. A Craft Festival is planned for May 2012, with artists and craft workers both displaying their work and giving demonstrations.

The Kettering and District Society for All Artists will be exhibiting in October, the proceeds of this event being donated to Cransley Hospice.

During 2011, the Heritage Centre held a number of successful talks on a variety of subjects. These have been well attended and will continue in 2012. The first talk will be by Christi Seyd-Brown on Lamport Hall and the Isham Family. The Centre is run entirely by volunteers and the team would like to hear from those of you who may be interested in joining.

Opening hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings, 10.00am to 12.30pm. You can call 01536 711550 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details. For enquiries relating to the galleries, please speak to Christine Cocksedge on 01536 710180 or e-mail
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Bridge Street Galleries at Rothwell Arts & Heritage Centre,
14-16 Bridge Street,
Rothwell,
NN14 6JW