Town holds annual fair with milk, rum and scuffles

Bailiff to the Lord of the Manor Frank York read the proclamation to start the Rothwell Fair

A market town is set to come to a standstill for its annual fair which involves playful scuffles and early morning drinking.

The Rowell Fair in Rothwell, Northamptonshire, is believed to more than 800 years old.

People from all over the town take part in the ceremony, which attracts large crowds.

Bailiff to the Lord of the Manor Frank York said it was "a great honour and a privilege" to be part of the fair.

What happens during the Rowell Fair?

Frank York has been the Bailiff since 2017

It officially begins on the first Monday after Trinity Sunday, and the first proclamation is at the Holy Trinity Church.

At 06:00 BST, the bailiff to the Lord of the Manor arrives with a guard of halberdiers, and reads the proclamation, which then is followed by the National Anthem.

Mr York said: "The first reading is always in front of the parish church."

Pubs in the town open at 06:00 serving, among other things, the traditional Rowell Fair beverage of rum and milk, which is offered to the bailiff.

He makes several stops around the town to read the charter and is offered a drink at each stop.

People take part in the play-fights in an attempt to "disarm" those taking the roles of halberdiers - or guards of the bailiff.

The fair takes over the town centre for five days with rides, street entertainment, live bands, food and a range of stands and exhibitors.

It is part of a week-long celebration that started on Saturday.

What is its history?

A procession with a band and villager takes place during the fair

According to the Rowell Fair Society, the event can be traced as far back as 1154 and it was granted a charter by King John 50 years later.

The proclamation was read by the bailiff, at six locations, and dates back to the reign of King James I in 1614.

It was from the 17th Century that entertainment began to replace the livestock fair and in the 19th Century that steam-power funfair rides began to appear.

The Rowell Fair Society was formed in1968 to keep up the tradition and prevent the fair from dying out.

The name Rowell comes from the local pronunciation of the town of Rothwell, as well local people being known as Rowellians.