On the way home from Birdfair in Rutland, England’s smallest county, we pass within three miles of a childhood “homeplace”. Rothwell, which we knew as “Rowell” in the Northamptonshire dialect, was home to my paternal grandparents and where Dad grew up. We arrange to meet my cousin Phil for an evening’s walk.
Much has changed, and much has not; as the lanes narrow and the warm, ochre-coloured buildings come into view, it all feels deeply familiar. An old market town no bigger than many villages, Rowell has retained a rural community feel. Built from Cottingham ironstone, once quarried for nearby Corby steelworks, it glows a honeyed orange in the sunset hour.
