Welcome back to the Rothwell Preservation Trust’s weekly Post – keeping you up-to-date about the Trust and its buildings!

We’re pleased to present our NEW weekly series of images that began a few weeks ago!

See the published collection so far HERE.

Alistair Mackay served as a Trustee for the Rothwell Preservation Trust from 2013 until his passing in May of this year. He was a well-loved figure around Rothwell and we will all miss his expertise in coins & timepieces, plus his extensive knowledge of the history of Rothwell.

Recently, Alistair donated a series of Postcards to us from his vast collection of Rothwell memorabilia. They all feature images of the Market House. Some are black and white, whilst others are in colour. 👍😀

In memory of our fellow Trustee and friend, we are presenting each Postcard from his collection over the next few months and we hope they bring back memories of our famous building.👏👏

21 July 2025 – Our FOURTH Postcard from Alistair’s collection.

See the published collection so far HERE. More to come!

To all our ‘Postcard Detectives’ out there, this week’s monochrome image reveals a few clues beyond the obvious.

The Front
The reference to ‘Old’ Market House immediately catches the eye. These days, our iconic building is simply known as ‘The Market House’. Look closer and you’ll see the number ‘459’ top left (more about that later). Turning to the image itself, there’s a group of (school?) children on the left all similarly attired with what looks like some older children to their left. The Market House’s famous clock reveals that the photograph was taken at around 2pm.

The Reverse
On the back the letter ‘B’ (‘Series Bedford’) stands proud. This confirms this postcard was from the ‘Bedwell Series of Postcards’ (more details HERE) where the earliest in this series were produced in the early 1900s.

“Thanks for your nice letter and stamps I thought you had forgotten” writes S Chamberlain and it is posted to Mrs Stewart, c/o Mr Facer, The Woodlands, Gwendolen Road, Leicester. Gwendolen Road in Leicester still exists, but ‘The Woodlands’ does not appear in any online searches.

The number mentioned earlier, on the front of the postcard (‘459’), indicates a unique catalogue number for this item. The numbering system was used on some of the Bedwell Series where its chronology suggests early 1900s for the Postcard itself. If you share an interest in dating based on stamps, this is a helpful resource.

We’re pretty sure of the date of when the postcard was sent – the Kettering Postmark clearly shows August 26 07. The postage stamp, featuring Edward VII, suggests the date must be between 1902-1910.

As always, if you have any more information about this week’s image – and the year it was taken, drop us a line – thank-you! Contact us at info@RothwellPreservationTrust.org or leave a message in the comments.

Want to see more images of the Market House? See all of the collection so far HERE.

As many of you know, the Market House needs a major makeover. The roof is leaking and must be replaced soon – and the stonework needs a thorough clean! So why not help us to conserve Rothwell’s most recognisable building for future generations by making a donation – Thank you! – Our Fundraising Page is HERE.

#RothwellPreservationTrust #TheRPT #SaveOurMarketHouse