Tucked away in a forgotten corner of Loughborough, many people pass the Old Rectory as they go about their daily business, but few are aware of its ancient past or that the medieval ruins – all that remain of a once grand residence – house a museum at all.

On a chilly evening in February 2011, local writer Karen Ette and I ran a writing workshop at the Old Rectory.  The half-a-dozen writers who took part looked at the artefacts on display, at specially selected old photographs and documents, and explored the building and grounds, taking inspiration from the memories, sights and sounds they encountered.

They then listened to the story of the building, past and present, as told by a member of the Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society.  The writing inspired by all these things was published in ‘Ghost Words from a Time Bound in Leather,’ an anthology produced by Scribbler’s Inc Press and available to buy from the Old Rectory Museum or online.  (Proceeds go to the Old Rectory Museum.)