Frome
Encyclopedia
Frome is a town
and civil parish in northeast Somerset
, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills
, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome
. The town is approximately 13 miles (21 km) south of Bath, 43 miles (69 km) east of the county town
, Taunton
and 107 miles (172 km) west of London
. In the 2001 census, the population was given as 24,510. The town is in the Mendip
district of Somerset
and is part of the parliamentary constituency of Somerton and Frome.
In April 2010 a large hoard
of third-century Roman coins was unearthed in a field near the town. From AD 950 to 1650, Frome was larger than Bath and originally grew due to the wool
and cloth industry. It later diversified into metal-working and printing, although these have declined. The town grew substantially in the 20th century but still retains a very large number of listed buildings, and most of the centre falls within a conservation area
.
The town has road and rail transport links and acts as an economic centre for the surrounding area. It also provides a centre for cultural and sporting activities, including the annual Frome Festival
and Frome Museum
. A number of notable individuals were born in, or have lived in, the town.
There is some limited evidence for Roman settlement of the area. The remains of a villa
were found in the village of Whatley, 3 miles (5 km) to the west of Frome.
In April 2010, the Frome Hoard
, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman
coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the third century AD and was found buried in a field near the town, in a jar 14 inches (35.6 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme
, and some are now on display in the British Museum
. The find was the subject of a BBC TV programme Digging for Britain in August 2010.
A monastery built by St. Aldhelm in 685 is the earliest evidence of Saxon
occupation of Frome. The Saxon kings appear to have used Frome as a base from which to hunt in Selwood Forest
and in 934 a witenagemot
was held there, indicating that Frome must already have been a significant settlement. One of the first English Kings, Eadred (son of Edward the Elder
), died in Frome on 23 November 955.
At the time of the Domesday Survey
, the manor was owned by King William
, and was the principal settlement of the largest and wealthiest hundred in Somerset. Over the following years, parts of the original manor were spun off as distinct manors; for example, one was owned by the minster, later passing to the Abbey at Cirencester
, which others were leased by the Crown to important families. By the 13th century, the Abbey had bought up some of the other manors (although it did let them out again) and was exploiting the profits from market and trade in the town. Local tradition asserts that Frome was a medieval borough, and the reeve of Frome is occasionally mentioned in documents after the reign of Edward I
, but there is no direct evidence that Frome was a borough and no trace of any charter granted to it. However, Henry VII
did grant a charter to Edmund Leversedge, then lord of the manor
, giving him the right to hold fairs on 22 July and 21 September.
The parish was part of the hundred of Frome
.
Hales Castle
was built, probably in the years immediately after the Norman conquest of England
in 1066. The circular ringwork
is 120 feet (36.6 m) in diameter and stands on the northern slope of Roddenbury Hill, close to the Iron Age
Roddenbury Hillfort
. It comprises banks and outer ditches and has an unfinished bailey.
The manufacture of woollen cloth was established as the town's principal industry in the 15th century, and Frome remained the only Somerset town in which this staple industry flourished. Families of clothiers gradually came to be the principal landowners in the town, with the manor of Frome itself finally passing into the ownership of a cloth merchant in 1714. From 1665 to 1725 major expansion, including the building of a new artisans' suburb to the west of Trinity Street, occurred. Daniel Defoe
remarked that the town had:
On the 27 June 1685, the forces of the Duke of Monmouth
camped in Frome, following their defeat in a skirmish with the Kings forces at Norton St Philip
. Large numbers of his army deserted during the few days he stayed in the town before his eventual defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor
. Following the putting down of the Monmouth Rebellion
, 12 men were hanged in the town.
Poverty, the decline of the wool industry in the mid-18th century, increased industrialisation, and rising food prices led to some unrest amongst the inhabitants of Frome, and there were riots during the century. By 1791, the town was described in less flattering terms than those Defoe had used 70 years earlier. In the early 19th century, plans were developed to reinvigorate the town and once again elevate it to its former position as a more important town than Bath. These plans, the idea of a local businessman, Thomas Bunn, mostly failed to come to fruition, although some public buildings were erected and a wide new approach road to the town centre from the south was cut (named Bath Street after the landowner, Lord Bath of Longleat
House).
Whilst wool remained an important part of the town's economy into the 19th (and even 20th) centuries, other industries were established in the town. A bell-foundry started in 1684 by William Cockey grew to be a major producer of components for the developing gas
industry and employer of 800 people. The J W Singer brass foundry and bronze-casting works, was a major employer and produced bronze statues. John Webb Singer was born in Frome and established his art metal work foundry in 1851. They made brass ornaments for local churches and became known through the Oxford Movement
within the Church of England
which lead to increasing demand for church ornaments. In addition to church ornaments the firm developed the facilities and expertise to create large statues. One of the first statues cast was a copy of General Gordon riding a camel. The firm was also responsible for the bronze statue of Boudica
with her daughters in her war chariot (furnished with scythes
after the Persian fashion), which was commissioned by Prince Albert and executed by Thomas Thornycroft
. It was not cast in bronze
until 1902, 17 years after Thornycrofts death, and now stands next to Westminster Bridge
and the Houses of Parliament
, London. The statue of Lady Justice
on the dome above the Old Bailey
was executed by the British sculptor, F. W. Pomeroy
and cast by Singers. She holds a sword in her right hand and a pair of weighing scales in her left. The statue is popularly supposed to show blind Justice; however, the figure is not blindfolded. The statue of Alfred the Great
at Winchester
was a further commission. The statues from Singers have also been exported around the world. Printing was another major industry, with the Butler and Tanner printworks being set up in the middle of the century. Brewing
was also a source of employment.
During the 20th century the old wool industry in Frome declined, although the last fabric mill at Wallsbridge did not close until 1965. As a result the population fell and in the 1930s it was slightly smaller than it had been in the mid 19th century. Other industries such as printing, light engineering, metal casting, carpeting and dairying continued, many taking old premises from the cloth mills and others being sited at the new Marston Road Trading Estate which led to growth after World War II
, including the construction of council houses.
Frome is the largest town within the Somerset non-metropolitan district
of Mendip
, although the administrative centre is Shepton Mallet
. Prior to 1974 it was administered by Frome Urban District.
The town elects three members to Somerset County Council
, each from a separate county division. At the last election in June 2009, Liberal Democrats
were elected in Frome South and Frome Selwood, and a Conservative
in Frome North. Frome also has eleven councillors on Mendip District Council
, two from each of the town council wards except for Oakfield, which elects only one. Following elections in 2008, all eleven were Liberal Democrats.
The civil parish of Frome has adopted the style of a town, and there is a Town Council of 17 members. Councillors are split between six wards: three each for the Berkley Down, College, Keyford, Market and Park Wards, and two for the Oakfield Ward. The most recent elections were in May 2011, following which the council is made up of 10 Independents for Frome party councillors, 4 Liberal Democrats, and three Conservatives
. Frome has three twin towns: Château-Gontier
in France
, Murrhardt
in Germany
and Rabka-Zdrój
in Poland
.
The town was not represented in Parliament
until given one member in the House of Commons by the Reform Act of 1832
. Separate representation was abolished for the 1950 general election
, with Frome itself being transferred to the Wells
division, whilst most of the remainder of the constituency formed the bulk of the new Somerset North
constituency. Further changes took place for the 1983 general election
when the current Somerton and Frome constituency was created. The current representative is Liberal Democrat
MP
David Heath CBE
, although the seat has been contested by the Conservatives
. During the general election of 2010, in which 74% of those eligible turned out to vote, David Heath achieved a relatively slim majority of 1,817 votes (3% of the total), Frome is within the South West England European Parliamentary constituency
which elects six MEPs using the d'Hondt method
of party-list proportional representation
.
The town has a new National Health Service
community hospital, operated by Somerset Primary Care Trust, located on the site of the former Showground at Fromefield. The new hospital was opened in 2008, replacing the former Frome Victoria Hospital in Park Road which had been in use since 1901. The nearest general hospital is the Royal United Hospital
in Bath.
The town rests on Forest Marble
which dates back to the Middle Jurassic
, and has been used for local building. The area surrounding the town is Cornbrash
, Oxford Clay
and Greensand
.
Frome is unevenly built on high ground above the River Frome, which is crossed by the 16th century town bridge in the town centre. The town centre is approximately 65 metres (213 ft) above sea-level, whilst the outer parts of the town are between 90 metres (295 ft) and 135 metres (443 ft) above sea-level.
The main areas of the town are (approximately clockwise from the north-west): Innox Hill, Welshmill, Packsaddle, Fromefield, Stonebridge, Clink, Berkley Down, Easthill, Wallbridge, The Mount, Keyford and Lower Keyford, Marston Gate, The Butts, Critchill, Trinity, and Gould's Ground.
Although the royal forest
of Selwood no longer exists, the nearby countryside is still richly wooded, for example on the Longleat
, Maiden Bradley
and Stourhead
estates.
To the west of the town, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, there are large active limestone
quarries
, such as Whatley Quarry
and Merehead Quarry, along with disused quarries. The working quarries are served by a dedicated railway line
which branches off the main line at Frome, passes through the town centre and out through the Welshmill and Spring Gardens areas in the north-west quadrant of the town.
Along with the rest of South West England
, Frome has a temperate climate
which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. The annual mean temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) with seasonal and diurnal
variations, but due to the modifying effect of the sea, the range is less than in most other parts of the United Kingdom. January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 1 °C (34 °F) and 2 °C (36 °F). July and August are the warmest months in the region with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F). In general, December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south west of England enjoys a favoured location, particularly in summer, when the Azores High
extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK.
Cloud
often forms inland, especially near hills, and reduces exposure to sunshine. The average annual sunshine totals around 1600 hours. Rainfall
tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions
or with convection. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower cloud
s and a large proportion of the annual precipitation falls from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. Average rainfall is around 800–900 mm (31–35 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind
speeds, with June to August having the lightest. The predominant wind direction is from the south west.
The population of Frome was 12,240 in the 1831 census, however it then declined to 11,057 in 1901 and remained between 11,000 and 12,000 until the 1970s. Since then, it has expanded considerably, reaching over 23,000 in 1991. In the 2001 census, the population was 24,510, comprising 11,863 (48.4%) males and 12,647 (51.6%) females. 7,674 (31.3%) residents were aged 16 or below, 13,150 (63.3%) between 16 and 65, and 3,686 (15.0%) aged 65 or over.
In the 2001 census
of the population aged between 16 and 74, 11,580 (67%) were in employment, with only 513 (3%) unemployed (the remainder being economically inactive). About 68% of those in employment were in service industries, with the remainder in manufacturing. 4,323 people were employed in managerial or professional occupations, 1,362 were self-employed, and 4,635 in routine and semi-routine occupations. 10,198 households were recorded in the town, of which 7,679 (75%) were owner-occupied, 981 (10%) rented from private landlords, and 1,538 (15%) rented from the local authority or other social landlord. 10,122 (99.3%) heads of households were white.
The metal-working and printing industries which replaced wool as Frome's main industry have declined but not left the town. Singers still has a presence in the town, as does Butler and Tanner, although the latter (now named Butler Tanner and Dennis following a take-over) hit major financial difficulties in 2008, and made two-thirds of its workforce redundant.
Almost half of the economically active population of Frome commute to work outside the town (in Bath, Bristol
, Warminster
, Westbury
or further afield). About 2,700 people commute into the town. A substantial part of the workforce has no formal qualifications and is poorly skilled, leaving them vulnerable to a decline in manufacturing work. There is no major local government employment in the town, and the principal public sector employers are the Primary Care Trust and the schools.
Frome town centre contains a considerable number of independent shops, and a few chain stores. Retail is primarily aimed at serving the local population's requirements for food (there are two large supermarkets on opposite edges of the town, and three smaller supermarkets in the town centre), basic clothing, health and beauty, DIY and some electrical goods. However studies show that only about a quarter of the town's population do their non-food shopping in the town. Bank
s and building societies
have branches in the town centre.
Markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the town centre: some in the Market Yard car park, and others in the former agricultural warehouse, the Cheese and Grain. The Saturday cattle market was moved from the centre of the town to nearby Standerwick in the 1980s. In 2003, Frome was granted Fairtrade Town
status.
A Vision for Frome 2008-2028 has been developed following a consultation with local people in the spring of 2008 which received over 3,000 responses. Mendip District Council and Mendip Strategic Partnership
have consulted on a Community Strategy and Local Development Framework for the period to 2026 which includes building 2,500-2,600 new homes, providing more employment and office space, developing a new secondary school and two new primary schools, remodelling the town centre and encouraging a wider range of retailers and leisure providers into the town.
There have been a number of significant housing developments within Frome, many on former industrial sites, and these are continuing with plans for the redevelopment of a site at Saxonvale and Garsdale to include several hundred dwellings, shops and a 'cultural quarter' containing workshops for artists.
in July, which in recent years has included more than 160 events held at various venues in and around the town. The town is host to a number of artists, many of whom open their studios to the public during the Festival. An Artisan Market is held on Catherine Hill monthly between April and October.
There are two theatres in Frome: The Memorial Theatre was built in 1924 in memory of the fallen of the World War I, whilst the 240-seat Merlin Theatre is part of the Community College campus. The Cheese and Grain, a former farm produce warehouse which was converted into a market and concert hall in 1997, has a capacity of up to 800 and hosts regular pop concerts. Locally-based musicians include American saxophonist Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis and Irish folk singer Cara Dillon
. Frome's only cinema, the Westway, is in Cork Street in the town centre. There is also an arts centre, The Black Swan, and the town is part of the West Country Carnival
circuit.
The Frome & District Agricultural Society holds an annual Agricultural & Cheese Show in September. This was formerly held on the Showground at Fromefield, but in recent years has moved to West Woodland, 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south of the town.
The Frome Society for Local Study was founded in 1958, and helped to establish and run Frome Museum
.
Frome is served by two newspapers, the Frome & Somerset Standard
and the Frome Times.
In 2008, a 'not for profit' company called Frome Community Productions was formed by members of the community in order to develop and deliver FromeFM, an internet based community radio station. The station broadcasts 24 hours per day and is completely staffed by volunteers who produce features, interviews and music shows. In 2009, FromeFM commenced a service to stream the broadcasts to mobile phones.
Frome's Cheap Street is a location in episode six of the first series of BBC
TV comedy The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
. Frome has also provided the backdrop to historical dramas, such as Drover's Gold, filmed by BBC Wales in 1996.
Frome restaurants include the Archangel on King Street, which received a 9/10 rating in The Sunday Telegraph. The Archangel, was formerly The Angel Inn, and is believed to date back to before the Protestant Reformation, and is a Grade II listed building.
Clearance Order, before its historical importance was realised, the remainder was saved and was restored at a cost of £4 million between 1980 and 1984. Also in this area is the elaborate former Selwood Printing Works.
Stoney Street, which leads into Catherine Hill, is a steep, cobbled road climbing out of the town centre. Also in the centre of the town, Cheap Street contains buildings dating to the 16th and 17th centuries, and has a stream running down the middle, fed by the spring at St John's Church. Cheap Street has never been used for vehicular traffic and its layout is based on land plots dating to approximately 1500. Despite a fire in 1923, the buildings have remained substantially unchanged since 1830, apart from shop-frontages.
The town bridge, which was originally built in the 14th century, was rebuilt in the 16th century and widened in the 18th century, at which time houses were built on it.
The Tourist Information Centre in Justice Lane is contained within a circular dye-house, known to have been in existence by 1813, one of two surviving in the town (the other is in Willow Vale). It was restored in 1994.
In the 1990s and first few years of the 21st century, Frome benefited from considerable investment in the restoration of its historic buildings through the English Heritage
Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme and the National Lottery
Townscape Heritage Initiative.
Frome has over 500 listed buildings, three of which (including the parish church) are grade I listed.
The Blue House
, located adjacent to the town bridge, is a Grade I listed building and was formerly the Bluecoat School and Almshouses, so named due to the colour of the school uniforms. Built in 1726 at a cost of £1,401 8s 9d, it replaced a previous almshouse
dating from 1461 and rebuilt in 1621. The Blue House provided a home for twenty widow women and schooling for twenty boys. The front of the building is adorned by two statues, one of a man and the other a woman, indicating the building's dual purpose. They are colloquially known as "Billy Ball" and "Nancy Guy". The building's role as a school came to an end in 1921, and it now provides studio and one-bedroom flats for seventeen elderly residents.
Rook Lane Chapel
was a noncomformist
chapel built between 1705 and 1707 by James Pope. The chapel had a gallery around three sides, and the centre of the ceiling was domed and supported by two tuscan columns. Rook Lane ceased to be used as a chapel in 1968 and there followed twenty-five years of neglect. In the early 1990s the building was compulsorily purchased by Somerset County Council
and transferred to the Somerset Buildings Preservation Trust
who carried out repairs and restorations. In 2001 it was converted by a firm of architects, the ground floor becoming a community hall and arts centre, managed by Rook Lane Arts Trust, and the galleried upper floor becoming offices for the architectural firm, NVB Architects.
The parish church of St John the Baptist, was built between the late 12th century and early 15th century replacing a Saxon
building that had stood since 685. The building was in very poor condition by the mid-19th century, and major restoration work – almost a complete rebuilding – was carried out in the 1860s, at a cost of almost £40,000. One of the more unusual pieces of work carried out was the construction of the Via Crucis, which is thought to be unique in an Anglican church. Another unusual feature are the carved roundels above the nave arcades depicting parables and miracles, which were added later in the century. Outside the east end of the church is the tomb of Bishop Thomas Ken
. The tower has eight bells, which bear inscriptions indicating that they were cast at various points between 1622 and 1792.
A daughter church of St John's, Christ Church, was built in 1818 by George Allen Underwood
, although considerable changes were made throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
The third Anglican Church, Holy Trinity, was built in 1837-38 by Henry Goodridge
in the style of Commissioners' Gothic. It is unusual in that the altar is at the west end due to the position in which the church was built. The stained glass windows are near-contemporary copies of windows designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones
.
Finally, St Mary's at Innox Hill was built in 1863, by C.E. Giles, as another Chapel of Ease to St John's. It is small with a decorated sanctuary ceiling.
As well as Rook Lane Chapel, there were other non-conformist religious houses in Frome. In 1773, a split in the congregation of Rook Lane led to the establishment of another Zion Congregational Church in Whittox Lane. This building was replaced in 1810, and was extended in 1888 (a separate, octagonal school room with a conical roof having been built on the grounds in 1875).
A Quaker Meeting House existed in Sheppards Barton, now South Parade, from 1675 to 1856. The original building was replaced around 1730 with a simple unadorned stone building comprising a single meeting room with wrought iron gallery above. The building became a school, the town library, Red Cross centre and, since 1999, the offices of a software company. The present chapel-like appearance was created in a 1993 refurbishment by the Red Cross.
Baptists had also been worshiping in the town since 1669, and had two churches. One was built in Sheppards Barton (now South Parade) in 1708. This was demolished and replaced by a new building in 1850, which was itself closed in 2001. Part of this building was converted to residential use but the main church, with a baptism pool, remains disused. A second Baptist Church was built in Badcox Lane (now Catherine Street) in 1711. It was replaced with a new building in 1813, which was embellished with a Doric
portico in 1845. It closed in 1962 (later serving as a library, before being converted into flats in the 1980s).
The Methodists built themselves a church in 1812 at Gorehedge, which is still in use (after considerable additions in 1863, restoration in 1871 and major internal rearrangement in the 1980s). Sun Street Chapel was erected by the Primitive Methodists in 1834, and closed in 1982, although it is now being used by another religious group. There is another Methodist church on Portway, built in 1910.
Finally, there is a Dissenters' Cemetery with Chapel at Vallis Road, which was founded in 1851 by Frome's 'Free Churches', mainly Baptist, Congregational and Methodist and has been the site of over 6,000 burials.
Frome is served by the Bristol to Weymouth railway line
which passes the eastern edge of the town. Frome station
was opened in 1850 and is one of the oldest railway stations still in operation in Britain, now with direct services to London Paddington Trains are operated by First Great Western
. A freight line, which branches off through the town to serve the quarries on the Mendip Hills, is mainly used by Mendip Rail
. A continuation of this line, which previously linked Frome to Radstock
, is now the route of National Cycle Route 24
, otherwise known as the Colliers Way.
Frome is served by a by-pass road, the A361
, which passes around the southern and eastern edges of the town, while the A362 passes through the centre of the town from north-west to south-east.
s for pupils aged between 4 and 9 years, including Berkley Church of England First School, Christ Church Church of England First School, Hayesdown First School, St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided First School, St Louis Catholic Primary School, Trinity Church of England First School and Vallis First School.
There are two middle schools for pupils between 9 and 13 years of age, Oakfield Middle School and Selwood Anglican/Methodist Middle School. The town's main college, Frome Community College
, provides education between ages 13 and 18, and has specialist "media arts
" status. There is also Critchill School which is a special school catering to students who have special education
al needs and Farleigh Further Education College for special needs students going on to post 16
, for example because of learning difficulties or physical disabilities.
There are no further or higher education establishments in Frome. A vocational training facility opened in a temporary building in 2008.
The Leisure Centre offers a wide range of activities including swimming, indoor bowls, squash and a gym. There are also water based sports including the Frome and Warminster Dive Club, and Canoe Club. There is an inland diving centre near Frome at Vobster.
Victoria Park offers sports such as Bowls, Tennis, Putting, Skateboard ramps and a Children's’ Playground. The Millennium Green has several marked walks and a picnic area close to a semi wild open space for local wildlife. The town is also at one end of the Mendip Way
which is a 80 kilometres (50 mi) long-distance footpath across the Mendip Hills
from Weston-super-Mare
.
Badgers Hill, currently known as the AlderSmith Stadium, is the home of Frome Town F.C.
, which in 2009 was promoted from the Western Football League
into the Southern Football League
. The Frome Town ladies' team also play at Badgers Hill. Frome Town F.C. also has Youth/Mini section, launched in the 2010/11 season. This is part of the clubs move towards the FA Community Club Status. The Youth section covers players of all abilities from under 6's to under 18's.
Frome Cricket Club plays cricket at the Agricultural Showgrounds on the Bath side of town. The club was formed in 1925 and, for the 2009 season, plays in the West of England Premier League
: Somerset Division. Somerset County Cricket Club
used to use the ground and Harold Gimblett
made his debut at the venue in May 1935. The club's most famed players are Colin Herbert Dredge
, who played county cricket 209 times for Somerset from 1976–1988 and Mark Harmon, who played for both Somerset and Kent
.
Formed in 1883, Frome Rugby Club plays at Gypsy Lane. It has four senior teams and a thriving mini and junior section. The First XV, Second XV and Third XV all play in the English Rugby Union South West Division
Championship; the First XV play in Southern Counties South
, the Second XV in Dorset and Wilts One South and the Third XV in Dorset and Wilts Three West. The Fourth XV, known as the Cavalry, play friendly, social fixtures against other local sides.
The Frome Cobble Wobble
, is an individually-timed bicycle
hill climb sprint
. It was first organised by the local community to celebrate the stage 5 of the 2009 Tour of Britain
, which started in Frome.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and civil parish in northeast Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome
River Frome, Somerset
The River Frome is a river in Somerset. It rises near Witham Friary, flows north through the town of Frome and joins the River Avon at Freshford, south of Bath....
. The town is approximately 13 miles (21 km) south of Bath, 43 miles (69 km) east of the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
, Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
and 107 miles (172 km) west of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In the 2001 census, the population was given as 24,510. The town is in the Mendip
Mendip
Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The Mendip district covers a largely rural area of ranging from the Mendip Hills through on to the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 110,000...
district of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and is part of the parliamentary constituency of Somerton and Frome.
In April 2010 a large hoard
Frome Hoard
The Frome Hoard is a hoard of 52,503 Roman coins found in April 2010 by metal detectorist Dave Crisp near Frome in Somerset, England. The coins were contained in a ceramic pot in diameter, and date from AD 253 to 305. Most of the coins are made from debased silver or bronze...
of third-century Roman coins was unearthed in a field near the town. From AD 950 to 1650, Frome was larger than Bath and originally grew due to the wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
and cloth industry. It later diversified into metal-working and printing, although these have declined. The town grew substantially in the 20th century but still retains a very large number of listed buildings, and most of the centre falls within a conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
.
The town has road and rail transport links and acts as an economic centre for the surrounding area. It also provides a centre for cultural and sporting activities, including the annual Frome Festival
Frome Festival
The annual ten-day Frome Festival usually starts the first Friday in July, in Frome, Somerset, England.The Frome Festival was conceived by Martin Bax and the inaugural event was held in 2000. He stepped down as Director in 2007, having received the MBE for his services to the Festival...
and Frome Museum
Frome Museum
Frome Museum in Frome, Somerset, England houses a collection of local history and has a particular important collection of artefacts from the bronze foundry of J.W.Singer.-Collections:...
. A number of notable individuals were born in, or have lived in, the town.
History
The name Frome comes from the Old English word ffraw meaning fair, fine or brisk and describing the flow of the river.There is some limited evidence for Roman settlement of the area. The remains of a villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
were found in the village of Whatley, 3 miles (5 km) to the west of Frome.
In April 2010, the Frome Hoard
Frome Hoard
The Frome Hoard is a hoard of 52,503 Roman coins found in April 2010 by metal detectorist Dave Crisp near Frome in Somerset, England. The coins were contained in a ceramic pot in diameter, and date from AD 253 to 305. Most of the coins are made from debased silver or bronze...
, one of the largest-ever hoards of Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
coins discovered in Britain, was found by a metal detectorist. The hoard of 52,500 coins dated from the third century AD and was found buried in a field near the town, in a jar 14 inches (35.6 cm) below the surface. The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the Portable Antiquities Scheme
Portable Antiquities Scheme
The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary programme run by the United Kingdom government to record the increasing numbers of small finds of archaeological interest found by members of the public...
, and some are now on display in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. The find was the subject of a BBC TV programme Digging for Britain in August 2010.
A monastery built by St. Aldhelm in 685 is the earliest evidence of Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
occupation of Frome. The Saxon kings appear to have used Frome as a base from which to hunt in Selwood Forest
Selwood Forest
Selwood Forest is an area of woodland on the borders between Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire in south west England. In Anglo-Saxon times it was far more substantial and covered a much greater area forming a natural barrier between the Anglo-Saxons of Wessex and the Britons of Dumnonia and the Severn...
and in 934 a witenagemot
Witenagemot
The Witenagemot , also known as the Witan was a political institution in Anglo-Saxon England which operated from before the 7th century until the 11th century.The Witenagemot was an assembly of the ruling class whose primary function was to advise the king and whose membership was...
was held there, indicating that Frome must already have been a significant settlement. One of the first English Kings, Eadred (son of Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
), died in Frome on 23 November 955.
At the time of the Domesday Survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, the manor was owned by King William
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
, and was the principal settlement of the largest and wealthiest hundred in Somerset. Over the following years, parts of the original manor were spun off as distinct manors; for example, one was owned by the minster, later passing to the Abbey at Cirencester
Abbey House, Cirencester
Abbey House, Cirencester was a country house in the English county of Gloucestershire that developed on the site of the former Cirencester Abbey following the dissolution and demolition of the abbey at the Reformation in the 1530s. The site of the dissolved abbey of Cirencester was granted in 1564...
, which others were leased by the Crown to important families. By the 13th century, the Abbey had bought up some of the other manors (although it did let them out again) and was exploiting the profits from market and trade in the town. Local tradition asserts that Frome was a medieval borough, and the reeve of Frome is occasionally mentioned in documents after the reign of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, but there is no direct evidence that Frome was a borough and no trace of any charter granted to it. However, Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
did grant a charter to Edmund Leversedge, then lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
, giving him the right to hold fairs on 22 July and 21 September.
The parish was part of the hundred of Frome
Frome (hundred)
The Hundred of Frome is one of the 40 historical Hundreds in the ceremonial county of Somerset, England, dating from before the Norman conquest during the Anglo-Saxon era although exact dates are unknown. Each hundred had a 'fyrd', which acted as the local defence force and a court which was...
.
Hales Castle
Hales Castle
Hales Castle was a medieval castle that once stood overlooking the town of Frome in the Mendip district of Somerset, England.-History:Hales Castle was built, probably in the years immediately after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, overlooking the town of Frome in the Mendip district of...
was built, probably in the years immediately after the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066. The circular ringwork
Ringwork
A ringwork is a form of fortified defensive structure, usually circular or oval in shape. Ringworks are essentially motte-and-bailey castles minus the motte...
is 120 feet (36.6 m) in diameter and stands on the northern slope of Roddenbury Hill, close to the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Roddenbury Hillfort
Roddenbury Hillfort
Roddenbury Hillfort is a univallate Iron Age hillfort in the parish of Selwood, Somerset, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and on the Heritage at Risk register. It is close to the later Hales Castle.The site covers...
. It comprises banks and outer ditches and has an unfinished bailey.
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
remarked that the town had:
On the 27 June 1685, the forces of the Duke of Monmouth
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
camped in Frome, following their defeat in a skirmish with the Kings forces at Norton St Philip
Norton St Philip
Norton St Philip is a village in Somerset, England, located between the City of Bath and the town of Frome. The village is in the district of Mendip, and the parliamentary constituency of Somerton and Frome....
. Large numbers of his army deserted during the few days he stayed in the town before his eventual defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor
Battle of Sedgemoor
The Battle of Sedgemoor was fought on 6 July 1685 and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in Somerset, England.It was the final battle of the Monmouth Rebellion and followed a series of skirmishes around south west England between the forces of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and the...
. Following the putting down of the Monmouth Rebellion
Monmouth Rebellion
The Monmouth Rebellion,The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion of 1685, was an attempt to overthrow James II, who had become King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland at the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685. James II was a Roman Catholic, and some...
, 12 men were hanged in the town.
Longleat
Longleat is an English stately home, currently the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster in Wiltshire and Frome in Somerset. It is noted for its Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house is set...
House).
Whilst wool remained an important part of the town's economy into the 19th (and even 20th) centuries, other industries were established in the town. A bell-foundry started in 1684 by William Cockey grew to be a major producer of components for the developing gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
industry and employer of 800 people. The J W Singer brass foundry and bronze-casting works, was a major employer and produced bronze statues. John Webb Singer was born in Frome and established his art metal work foundry in 1851. They made brass ornaments for local churches and became known through the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
within the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
which lead to increasing demand for church ornaments. In addition to church ornaments the firm developed the facilities and expertise to create large statues. One of the first statues cast was a copy of General Gordon riding a camel. The firm was also responsible for the bronze statue of Boudica
Boudica
Boudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
with her daughters in her war chariot (furnished with scythes
Scythed chariot
The scythed chariot was a war chariot with scythe-like blades mounted on each side, employed in ancient times.-History:The scythed chariot was a modified war chariot. The blades extended horizontally for about to each side of the wheels...
after the Persian fashion), which was commissioned by Prince Albert and executed by Thomas Thornycroft
Thomas Thornycroft
Thomas Thornycroft was an English sculptor and engineer.-Biography:Thomas Thornycroft was born near Gawsworth, Cheshire, the eldest son of John Thornycroft, a farmer. He was educated at Congleton Grammar School and then briefly apprenticed to a surgeon. He moved to London where he spent four...
. It was not cast in bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
until 1902, 17 years after Thornycrofts death, and now stands next to Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
and the Houses of Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, London. The statue of Lady Justice
Lady Justice
Lady Justice |Dike]]) is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems.-Depiction:The personification of justice balancing the scales of truth and fairness dates back to the Goddess Maat, and later Isis, of ancient Egypt. The Hellenic deities Themis and Dike were later...
on the dome above the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
was executed by the British sculptor, F. W. Pomeroy
F. W. Pomeroy
Frederick William Pomeroy RA was a prolific British sculptor of architectural and monumental works.He was born in London, the son of an artist-craftsman. He trained with William Silver Frith at the South London Technical School of Art , where he was also taught by Jules Dalou...
and cast by Singers. She holds a sword in her right hand and a pair of weighing scales in her left. The statue is popularly supposed to show blind Justice; however, the figure is not blindfolded. The statue of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
at Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
was a further commission. The statues from Singers have also been exported around the world. Printing was another major industry, with the Butler and Tanner printworks being set up in the middle of the century. Brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
was also a source of employment.
During the 20th century the old wool industry in Frome declined, although the last fabric mill at Wallsbridge did not close until 1965. As a result the population fell and in the 1930s it was slightly smaller than it had been in the mid 19th century. Other industries such as printing, light engineering, metal casting, carpeting and dairying continued, many taking old premises from the cloth mills and others being sited at the new Marston Road Trading Estate which led to growth after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, including the construction of council houses.
Governance and public services
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of Mendip
Mendip
Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The Mendip district covers a largely rural area of ranging from the Mendip Hills through on to the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 110,000...
, although the administrative centre is Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...
. Prior to 1974 it was administered by Frome Urban District.
The town elects three members to Somerset County Council
Somerset County Council
Somerset County Council is the county council of Somerset in the South West of England, an elected local government authority responsible for the most significant local government services in most of the county.-Area covered:...
, each from a separate county division. At the last election in June 2009, Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
were elected in Frome South and Frome Selwood, and a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
in Frome North. Frome also has eleven councillors on Mendip District Council
Mendip
Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The Mendip district covers a largely rural area of ranging from the Mendip Hills through on to the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 110,000...
, two from each of the town council wards except for Oakfield, which elects only one. Following elections in 2008, all eleven were Liberal Democrats.
The civil parish of Frome has adopted the style of a town, and there is a Town Council of 17 members. Councillors are split between six wards: three each for the Berkley Down, College, Keyford, Market and Park Wards, and two for the Oakfield Ward. The most recent elections were in May 2011, following which the council is made up of 10 Independents for Frome party councillors, 4 Liberal Democrats, and three Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. Frome has three twin towns: Château-Gontier
Château-Gontier
Château-Gontier is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It is about south of Laval, the préfecture of the department of Mayenne. Château-Gontier is home to the Refuge de l'Arche, a refuge for abandoned or mistreated animals.-People:...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Murrhardt
Murrhardt
Murrhardt is a town in the Rems-Murr district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located 12 km east of Backnang, and 18 km southwest of Schwäbisch Hall. The source of the Murr is situated in Murrhardt....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Rabka-Zdrój
Rabka-Zdrój
Rabka-Zdrój , usually referred to as Rabka, is a spa town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland. It is located between Kraków and Zakopane in a valley on the northern slopes of the Gorce mountains, where the rivers Poniczanka and Słonka join the river Raba . In 2008 it had a population of 13,052...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
The town was not represented in Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
until given one member in the House of Commons by the Reform Act of 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
. Separate representation was abolished for the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
, with Frome itself being transferred to the Wells
Wells (UK Parliament constituency)
Wells is a county constituency centred on the city of Wells in Somerset. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system...
division, whilst most of the remainder of the constituency formed the bulk of the new Somerset North
North Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)
North Somerset is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
constituency. Further changes took place for the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
when the current Somerton and Frome constituency was created. The current representative is Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
David Heath CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, although the seat has been contested by the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. During the general election of 2010, in which 74% of those eligible turned out to vote, David Heath achieved a relatively slim majority of 1,817 votes (3% of the total), Frome is within the South West England European Parliamentary constituency
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
which elects six MEPs using the d'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
of party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
.
The town has a new National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
community hospital, operated by Somerset Primary Care Trust, located on the site of the former Showground at Fromefield. The new hospital was opened in 2008, replacing the former Frome Victoria Hospital in Park Road which had been in use since 1901. The nearest general hospital is the Royal United Hospital
Royal United Hospital
The Royal United Hospital is a major acute hospital, located in the Weston suburb of Bath, England, which lies approximately miles west of the Bath city centre. The hospital currently has 565 beds and occupies a site...
in Bath.
Geography
Forest Marble
The Forest Marble is a geological formation in Europe. It dates back to the Middle Jurassic.-Ornithischians:-Saurischians:-References:...
which dates back to the Middle Jurassic
Middle Jurassic
The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from 176-161 million years ago. In European lithostratigraphy, rocks of this Middle Jurassic age are called the Dogger....
, and has been used for local building. The area surrounding the town is Cornbrash
Cornbrash
In geology, Cornbrash was the name applied to the uppermost member of the Bathonian stage of the Jurassic formation in England. It is an old English agricultural name applied in Wiltshire to a variety of loose rubble or brash which, in that part of the country, forms a good soil for growing corn...
, Oxford Clay
Oxford Clay
The Oxford Clay Formation is a Jurassic marine sedimentary rock formation underlying much of southeast England, from as far west as Dorset and as far north as Yorkshire. The Oxford Clay is of middle Callovian to lower Oxfordian age and comprises 2 main facies. The lower facies comprises the...
and Greensand
Greensand
Greensand or Green sand is either a sand or sandstone, which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment, that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called glauconies and consist of a mixture of mixed-layer clay...
.
Frome is unevenly built on high ground above the River Frome, which is crossed by the 16th century town bridge in the town centre. The town centre is approximately 65 metres (213 ft) above sea-level, whilst the outer parts of the town are between 90 metres (295 ft) and 135 metres (443 ft) above sea-level.
The main areas of the town are (approximately clockwise from the north-west): Innox Hill, Welshmill, Packsaddle, Fromefield, Stonebridge, Clink, Berkley Down, Easthill, Wallbridge, The Mount, Keyford and Lower Keyford, Marston Gate, The Butts, Critchill, Trinity, and Gould's Ground.
Although the royal forest
Royal forest
A royal forest is an area of land with different meanings in England, Wales and Scotland; the term forest does not mean forest as it is understood today, as an area of densely wooded land...
of Selwood no longer exists, the nearby countryside is still richly wooded, for example on the Longleat
Longleat
Longleat is an English stately home, currently the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster in Wiltshire and Frome in Somerset. It is noted for its Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house is set...
, Maiden Bradley
Maiden Bradley
Maiden Bradley with Yarnfield is a small Wiltshire civil parish near the Somerset border and the home of the Duke of Somerset. The B3092 road that joins Frome to Mere runs through the middle of the village of Maiden Bradley....
and Stourhead
Stourhead
Stourhead is a 2,650 acre estate at the source of the River Stour near Mere, Wiltshire, England. The estate includes a Palladian mansion, the village of Stourton, gardens, farmland, and woodland...
estates.
To the west of the town, on the edge of the Mendip Hills, there are large active limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, such as Whatley Quarry
Whatley Quarry
Whatley Quarry, is a limestone quarry owned by Hanson plc, near the village of Whatley on the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England.The quarry exhibits pale to dark grey Carboniferous Limestone with small area of overlying horizontally bedded buff-coloured Jurassic oolitic limestone forming an angular...
and Merehead Quarry, along with disused quarries. The working quarries are served by a dedicated railway line
Mendip Rail
Mendip Rail Ltd is an independent freight operating railway company in Great Britain. It is composed of the rail-operation divisions of Aggregate Industries and Hanson Aggregates ....
which branches off the main line at Frome, passes through the town centre and out through the Welshmill and Spring Gardens areas in the north-west quadrant of the town.
Along with the rest of South West England
Climate of south-west England
The climate of south-west England is classed as oceanic according to the Köppen climate classification. The oceanic climate is typified by cool winters with warmer summers and precipitation all year round, with more experienced in winter. Annual rainfall is about and up to on higher ground...
, Frome has a temperate climate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
which is generally wetter and milder than the rest of England. The annual mean temperature is about 10 °C (50 °F) with seasonal and diurnal
Diurnal motion
Diurnal motion is an astronomical term referring to the apparent daily motion of stars around the Earth, or more precisely around the two celestial poles. It is caused by the Earth's rotation on its axis, so every star apparently moves on a circle, that is called the diurnal circle. The time for...
variations, but due to the modifying effect of the sea, the range is less than in most other parts of the United Kingdom. January is the coldest month with mean minimum temperatures between 1 °C (34 °F) and 2 °C (36 °F). July and August are the warmest months in the region with mean daily maxima around 21 °C (70 °F). In general, December is the dullest month and June the sunniest. The south west of England enjoys a favoured location, particularly in summer, when the Azores High
Azores High
The Azores High is a large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure found near the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, at the Horse latitudes...
extends its influence north-eastwards towards the UK.
Cloud
Cumulus cloud
Cumulus clouds are a type of cloud with noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges. Cumulus means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. They are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance. Cumulus clouds may appear alone, in lines, or in clusters...
often forms inland, especially near hills, and reduces exposure to sunshine. The average annual sunshine totals around 1600 hours. Rainfall
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
tends to be associated with Atlantic depressions
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
or with convection. In summer, convection caused by solar surface heating sometimes forms shower cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
s and a large proportion of the annual precipitation falls from showers and thunderstorms at this time of year. Average rainfall is around 800–900 mm (31–35 in). About 8–15 days of snowfall is typical. November to March have the highest mean wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
speeds, with June to August having the lightest. The predominant wind direction is from the south west.
Demography
In the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
of the population aged between 16 and 74, 11,580 (67%) were in employment, with only 513 (3%) unemployed (the remainder being economically inactive). About 68% of those in employment were in service industries, with the remainder in manufacturing. 4,323 people were employed in managerial or professional occupations, 1,362 were self-employed, and 4,635 in routine and semi-routine occupations. 10,198 households were recorded in the town, of which 7,679 (75%) were owner-occupied, 981 (10%) rented from private landlords, and 1,538 (15%) rented from the local authority or other social landlord. 10,122 (99.3%) heads of households were white.
Economy
Almost half of the economically active population of Frome commute to work outside the town (in Bath, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
, Westbury
Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
or further afield). About 2,700 people commute into the town. A substantial part of the workforce has no formal qualifications and is poorly skilled, leaving them vulnerable to a decline in manufacturing work. There is no major local government employment in the town, and the principal public sector employers are the Primary Care Trust and the schools.
Frome town centre contains a considerable number of independent shops, and a few chain stores. Retail is primarily aimed at serving the local population's requirements for food (there are two large supermarkets on opposite edges of the town, and three smaller supermarkets in the town centre), basic clothing, health and beauty, DIY and some electrical goods. However studies show that only about a quarter of the town's population do their non-food shopping in the town. Bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s and building societies
Building society
A building society is a financial institution owned by its members as a mutual organization. Building societies offer banking and related financial services, especially mortgage lending. These institutions are found in the United Kingdom and several other countries.The term "building society"...
have branches in the town centre.
Markets are held on Wednesdays and Saturdays in the town centre: some in the Market Yard car park, and others in the former agricultural warehouse, the Cheese and Grain. The Saturday cattle market was moved from the centre of the town to nearby Standerwick in the 1980s. In 2003, Frome was granted Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town is a status awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body describing an area which is committed to the promotion of Fairtrade certified goods...
status.
A Vision for Frome 2008-2028 has been developed following a consultation with local people in the spring of 2008 which received over 3,000 responses. Mendip District Council and Mendip Strategic Partnership
Local Strategic Partnership
Local strategic partnerships exist in nearly all local authority areas in England. They bring together representatives from the local statutory, voluntary, community and private sectors to address local problems, allocate funding, discuss strategies and initiatives...
have consulted on a Community Strategy and Local Development Framework for the period to 2026 which includes building 2,500-2,600 new homes, providing more employment and office space, developing a new secondary school and two new primary schools, remodelling the town centre and encouraging a wider range of retailers and leisure providers into the town.
There have been a number of significant housing developments within Frome, many on former industrial sites, and these are continuing with plans for the redevelopment of a site at Saxonvale and Garsdale to include several hundred dwellings, shops and a 'cultural quarter' containing workshops for artists.
Culture
Frome has a thriving arts scene. The high-point is the annual ten-day Frome FestivalFrome Festival
The annual ten-day Frome Festival usually starts the first Friday in July, in Frome, Somerset, England.The Frome Festival was conceived by Martin Bax and the inaugural event was held in 2000. He stepped down as Director in 2007, having received the MBE for his services to the Festival...
in July, which in recent years has included more than 160 events held at various venues in and around the town. The town is host to a number of artists, many of whom open their studios to the public during the Festival. An Artisan Market is held on Catherine Hill monthly between April and October.
There are two theatres in Frome: The Memorial Theatre was built in 1924 in memory of the fallen of the World War I, whilst the 240-seat Merlin Theatre is part of the Community College campus. The Cheese and Grain, a former farm produce warehouse which was converted into a market and concert hall in 1997, has a capacity of up to 800 and hosts regular pop concerts. Locally-based musicians include American saxophonist Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis and Irish folk singer Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon
Cara Dillon is an Irish folk singer. In 2001, she launched her career as a solo artist in the UK with the eponymous Cara Dillon album...
. Frome's only cinema, the Westway, is in Cork Street in the town centre. There is also an arts centre, The Black Swan, and the town is part of the West Country Carnival
West Country Carnival
The West Country Carnival is an annual celebration featuring a parade of illuminated floats , in the English West Country. The celebration dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. The purpose is to raise money for local charities....
circuit.
The Frome Society for Local Study was founded in 1958, and helped to establish and run Frome Museum
Frome Museum
Frome Museum in Frome, Somerset, England houses a collection of local history and has a particular important collection of artefacts from the bronze foundry of J.W.Singer.-Collections:...
.
Frome is served by two newspapers, the Frome & Somerset Standard
Somerset Guardian Standard
The Somerset Guardian and Standard are two weekly local newspapers, published in Somerset, England.The Somerset Standard & Guardian Series consists of the Frome & Somerset Standard, the Somerset Guardian and since July 2004 the Warminster & Westbury Standard....
and the Frome Times.
In 2008, a 'not for profit' company called Frome Community Productions was formed by members of the community in order to develop and deliver FromeFM, an internet based community radio station. The station broadcasts 24 hours per day and is completely staffed by volunteers who produce features, interviews and music shows. In 2009, FromeFM commenced a service to stream the broadcasts to mobile phones.
Frome's Cheap Street is a location in episode six of the first series of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV comedy The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is a series of novels which developed into a British sitcom starring Leonard Rossiter in the title role...
. Frome has also provided the backdrop to historical dramas, such as Drover's Gold, filmed by BBC Wales in 1996.
Frome restaurants include the Archangel on King Street, which received a 9/10 rating in The Sunday Telegraph. The Archangel, was formerly The Angel Inn, and is believed to date back to before the Protestant Reformation, and is a Grade II listed building.
Landmarks
The older parts of Frome – for example, around Sheppard's Barton and Catherine Hill – are picturesque, containing an outstanding collection of late 17th and 18th century small houses. The Trinity area, which was built in the latter half of the 17th century and first half of the 18th century, is a fine (and rare) example of early industrial housing. Over 300 houses were built between 1660 and 1756 in a very unusual early example of a planned grid-pattern. Although about half the area was demolished in the 1960s under a SlumSlum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
Clearance Order, before its historical importance was realised, the remainder was saved and was restored at a cost of £4 million between 1980 and 1984. Also in this area is the elaborate former Selwood Printing Works.
The town bridge, which was originally built in the 14th century, was rebuilt in the 16th century and widened in the 18th century, at which time houses were built on it.
The Tourist Information Centre in Justice Lane is contained within a circular dye-house, known to have been in existence by 1813, one of two surviving in the town (the other is in Willow Vale). It was restored in 1994.
In the 1990s and first few years of the 21st century, Frome benefited from considerable investment in the restoration of its historic buildings through the English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme and the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
Townscape Heritage Initiative.
Frome has over 500 listed buildings, three of which (including the parish church) are grade I listed.
Grade I Listed Buildings
The Blue House, Frome
The Blue House in Frome, Somerset, England was built in 1726 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.The Blue House, located adjacent to the town bridge, was formerly the Bluecoat School and Almshouses, so named due to the colour of the school uniforms.Built in 1726 at a cost of £1,401...
, located adjacent to the town bridge, is a Grade I listed building and was formerly the Bluecoat School and Almshouses, so named due to the colour of the school uniforms. Built in 1726 at a cost of £1,401 8s 9d, it replaced a previous almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
dating from 1461 and rebuilt in 1621. The Blue House provided a home for twenty widow women and schooling for twenty boys. The front of the building is adorned by two statues, one of a man and the other a woman, indicating the building's dual purpose. They are colloquially known as "Billy Ball" and "Nancy Guy". The building's role as a school came to an end in 1921, and it now provides studio and one-bedroom flats for seventeen elderly residents.
Rook Lane Chapel
Rook Lane Chapel
Rook Lane Chapel was a place of worship, and is now an arts centre, in Frome, Somerset, England.Built in 1707, the chapel was the place of worship for nonconformists, however congregations dwindled and it closed in the 1960s. It was sold to developers but they were unable to get planning permission...
was a noncomformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
chapel built between 1705 and 1707 by James Pope. The chapel had a gallery around three sides, and the centre of the ceiling was domed and supported by two tuscan columns. Rook Lane ceased to be used as a chapel in 1968 and there followed twenty-five years of neglect. In the early 1990s the building was compulsorily purchased by Somerset County Council
Somerset County Council
Somerset County Council is the county council of Somerset in the South West of England, an elected local government authority responsible for the most significant local government services in most of the county.-Area covered:...
and transferred to the Somerset Buildings Preservation Trust
Somerset Buildings Preservation Trust
The Somerset Buildings Preservation Trust works to save the architectural heritage of Somerset, England.The Trust is an independent body and consists of up to 18 Trustees who hold Board meetings 3 times a year. It is a Building Preservation Trust with charitable status and a company limited by...
who carried out repairs and restorations. In 2001 it was converted by a firm of architects, the ground floor becoming a community hall and arts centre, managed by Rook Lane Arts Trust, and the galleried upper floor becoming offices for the architectural firm, NVB Architects.
Tunnels
Frome is reputed to have one or more systems of tunnels beneath the streets of the older parts of the town. Some entrances are visible above ground; for example, in the wall at the top of Stony Street, with other entrances in the cellars of shops and houses. Their purpose and full extent remains unknown, but they have been under investigation in recent years by at least one local group and a documentary has been made.Anglican churches
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
building that had stood since 685. The building was in very poor condition by the mid-19th century, and major restoration work – almost a complete rebuilding – was carried out in the 1860s, at a cost of almost £40,000. One of the more unusual pieces of work carried out was the construction of the Via Crucis, which is thought to be unique in an Anglican church. Another unusual feature are the carved roundels above the nave arcades depicting parables and miracles, which were added later in the century. Outside the east end of the church is the tomb of Bishop Thomas Ken
Thomas Ken
Thomas Ken was an English cleric who was considered the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops, and one of the fathers of modern English hymnology.-Early life:...
. The tower has eight bells, which bear inscriptions indicating that they were cast at various points between 1622 and 1792.
A daughter church of St John's, Christ Church, was built in 1818 by George Allen Underwood
George Allen Underwood
George Allen Underwood was an architect in Cheltenham.He was a pupil of Sir John Soane from 1807 to 1815 and then started his own practice in Cheltenham...
, although considerable changes were made throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
The third Anglican Church, Holy Trinity, was built in 1837-38 by Henry Goodridge
Henry Goodridge
Henry Edmund Goodridge was an architect whose work started in the 1820s.-Works:Goodridge's neoclassical buildings in Bath include:* Cleveland Bridge;* one of the earliest shopping arcades...
in the style of Commissioners' Gothic. It is unusual in that the altar is at the west end due to the position in which the church was built. The stained glass windows are near-contemporary copies of windows designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones
Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
.
Finally, St Mary's at Innox Hill was built in 1863, by C.E. Giles, as another Chapel of Ease to St John's. It is small with a decorated sanctuary ceiling.
Irvingite
In 1853, Irvingite Catholics (Catholic-Apostolic) began worshiping in a building in the West End until the church was closed.Roman Catholic
The Roman Catholic church began in Frome after the building of a temporary church in Park Road in 1928, and a new church, St Catharine's Catholic Church, was finally built on the site in 1967 and 1968.Non-conformist churches
A Quaker Meeting House existed in Sheppards Barton, now South Parade, from 1675 to 1856. The original building was replaced around 1730 with a simple unadorned stone building comprising a single meeting room with wrought iron gallery above. The building became a school, the town library, Red Cross centre and, since 1999, the offices of a software company. The present chapel-like appearance was created in a 1993 refurbishment by the Red Cross.
Baptists had also been worshiping in the town since 1669, and had two churches. One was built in Sheppards Barton (now South Parade) in 1708. This was demolished and replaced by a new building in 1850, which was itself closed in 2001. Part of this building was converted to residential use but the main church, with a baptism pool, remains disused. A second Baptist Church was built in Badcox Lane (now Catherine Street) in 1711. It was replaced with a new building in 1813, which was embellished with a Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
portico in 1845. It closed in 1962 (later serving as a library, before being converted into flats in the 1980s).
The Methodists built themselves a church in 1812 at Gorehedge, which is still in use (after considerable additions in 1863, restoration in 1871 and major internal rearrangement in the 1980s). Sun Street Chapel was erected by the Primitive Methodists in 1834, and closed in 1982, although it is now being used by another religious group. There is another Methodist church on Portway, built in 1910.
Finally, there is a Dissenters' Cemetery with Chapel at Vallis Road, which was founded in 1851 by Frome's 'Free Churches', mainly Baptist, Congregational and Methodist and has been the site of over 6,000 burials.
Transport
Heart of Wessex Line
The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury to Weymouth...
which passes the eastern edge of the town. Frome station
Frome railway station
Frome railway station serves a largely rural area of the county of Somerset in England, and is situated in the town of Frome.The station is located on a long branch line which loops off the main line railway, which carries services on both the Reading to Taunton line and Bristol to Weymouth route...
was opened in 1850 and is one of the oldest railway stations still in operation in Britain, now with direct services to London Paddington Trains are operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
. A freight line, which branches off through the town to serve the quarries on the Mendip Hills, is mainly used by Mendip Rail
Mendip Rail
Mendip Rail Ltd is an independent freight operating railway company in Great Britain. It is composed of the rail-operation divisions of Aggregate Industries and Hanson Aggregates ....
. A continuation of this line, which previously linked Frome to Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
, is now the route of National Cycle Route 24
NCR 24
National Cycle Route 24, otherwise known as the Colliers Way currently runs from Dundas Aqueduct to Frome via Radstock, although it is intended to provide a continuous cycle route to Southampton and Portsmouth.-Route:...
, otherwise known as the Colliers Way.
Frome is served by a by-pass road, the A361
A361 road
The A361 is a major road in England and at is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK. It runs south from Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast to Barnstaple, turning south-east to Tiverton then, after a break , north east from Taunton in Somerset through Street and Glastonbury, past Frome and then...
, which passes around the southern and eastern edges of the town, while the A362 passes through the centre of the town from north-west to south-east.
Education
Frome has thirteen first schoolFirst School
First school and lower school are terms used in some areas of the United Kingdom to describe the first stage of primary education. Some English Local Education Authorities have introduced First Schools since the 1960s...
s for pupils aged between 4 and 9 years, including Berkley Church of England First School, Christ Church Church of England First School, Hayesdown First School, St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided First School, St Louis Catholic Primary School, Trinity Church of England First School and Vallis First School.
There are two middle schools for pupils between 9 and 13 years of age, Oakfield Middle School and Selwood Anglican/Methodist Middle School. The town's main college, Frome Community College
Frome Community College
Frome Community College is a comprehensive school in Frome, Somerset, England with specialist media arts status since 2002.It caters for approximately 1,380 students from the ages 13 to 18, as it is part of the three tier system. Students' studies at the college lead up to GCSE, GNVQ, AS-Level and...
, provides education between ages 13 and 18, and has specialist "media arts
Arts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
" status. There is also Critchill School which is a special school catering to students who have special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
al needs and Farleigh Further Education College for special needs students going on to post 16
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
, for example because of learning difficulties or physical disabilities.
There are no further or higher education establishments in Frome. A vocational training facility opened in a temporary building in 2008.
Sport and Leisure
Victoria Park offers sports such as Bowls, Tennis, Putting, Skateboard ramps and a Children's’ Playground. The Millennium Green has several marked walks and a picnic area close to a semi wild open space for local wildlife. The town is also at one end of the Mendip Way
Mendip Way
The Mendip Way is an long-distance footpath across the Mendip Hills from Weston-super-Mare to Frome. It is divided into two sections.The West Mendip Way was opened in 1979 and starts at the Bristol Channel at Uphill Cliff. It climbs the Mendip escarpment affording views over the Somerset Levels....
which is a 80 kilometres (50 mi) long-distance footpath across the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
from Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
.
Badgers Hill, currently known as the AlderSmith Stadium, is the home of Frome Town F.C.
Frome Town F.C.
Frome Town Football Club is an English football club based Frome, a town in the county of Somerset. Founded in 1904, their nickname is the Robins and they play in a predominantly red kit. Their home is Badgers Hill, which has been the club's ground since their formation...
, which in 2009 was promoted from the Western Football League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
into the Southern Football League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
. The Frome Town ladies' team also play at Badgers Hill. Frome Town F.C. also has Youth/Mini section, launched in the 2010/11 season. This is part of the clubs move towards the FA Community Club Status. The Youth section covers players of all abilities from under 6's to under 18's.
Frome Cricket Club plays cricket at the Agricultural Showgrounds on the Bath side of town. The club was formed in 1925 and, for the 2009 season, plays in the West of England Premier League
West of England Premier League
The West of England Premier League is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the West of England and is a designated ECB Premier League....
: Somerset Division. Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
used to use the ground and Harold Gimblett
Harold Gimblett
Harold Gimblett was a cricketer who played for Somerset and England. He was known for his fast scoring as an opening batsman and for the much-repeated story of his debut...
made his debut at the venue in May 1935. The club's most famed players are Colin Herbert Dredge
Colin Dredge
Colin Herbert Dredge was an English first-class cricketer for Somerset. He was known as the "Demon of Frome", a nickname coined by journalist, Alan Gibson....
, who played county cricket 209 times for Somerset from 1976–1988 and Mark Harmon, who played for both Somerset and Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
.
Formed in 1883, Frome Rugby Club plays at Gypsy Lane. It has four senior teams and a thriving mini and junior section. The First XV, Second XV and Third XV all play in the English Rugby Union South West Division
English Rugby Union South West Division
The Rugby Football Union South West Division is the rugby union governing body for South West England. It organises the following leagues: It is part of the Rugby Football Union.* South West 1* South West 2 East* Tribute South West 2 West...
Championship; the First XV play in Southern Counties South
Southern Counties South
- Teams 2009/10 :*Dorchester*Sherborne*Bradford-on-Avon*Corsham*Devizes*Frome*Minety*North Dorset*Oldfield Old Boys*Tadley*Wimborne*Ivel Barbarians- References :...
, the Second XV in Dorset and Wilts One South and the Third XV in Dorset and Wilts Three West. The Fourth XV, known as the Cavalry, play friendly, social fixtures against other local sides.
The Frome Cobble Wobble
Frome Cobble Wobble
The Frome Cobble Wobble, established in 2009, is an individually-timed bicycle hill climb sprint in Frome, Somerset, England. It was first organised by the local community to celebrate the stage 5 of the 2009 Tour of Britain, which started in Frome...
, is an individually-timed bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
hill climb sprint
Sprint (cycling)
The sprint or match sprint is a track cycling event involving between 2 and 4 riders, though they are usually run as a one-on-one match race between opponents who, unlike in the individual pursuit, start next to each other.- Racing style :...
. It was first organised by the local community to celebrate the stage 5 of the 2009 Tour of Britain
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
, which started in Frome.
Notable people
- See also :Category:People from Frome
- Benjamin Baker, builder of the Forth Bridge, was born in Frome in 1840.
- The Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing driver and 2009 world champion Jenson ButtonJenson ButtonJenson Alexander Lyons Button MBE is a British Formula One driver currently signed to McLaren. He was the 2009 World Drivers' Champion.Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British...
was born in Frome in 1980. He went to Selwood Middle School in Frome, and his mother still lives nearby. A street, Jenson Avenue, has been named after him, as has a new bridge over the River FromeRiver Frome, SomersetThe River Frome is a river in Somerset. It rises near Witham Friary, flows north through the town of Frome and joins the River Avon at Freshford, south of Bath....
'The Jenson Button Bridge'. In May 2010, Button was awarded freedom of the townFreedom of the CityFreedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
. - Cara DillonCara DillonCara Dillon is an Irish folk singer. In 2001, she launched her career as a solo artist in the UK with the eponymous Cara Dillon album...
, Irish folk singer, and her husband, musician and record producer Sam LakemanSam LakemanSamuel Charles Lakeman is an English musician, songwriter, and producer and co-owner of Charcoal Records.-Biography:He was brought up in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon, with his brothers, fellow musicians Seth Lakeman and Sean Lakeman...
(brother of Seth LakemanSeth LakemanSeth Bernard Lakeman is an English folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, who is most often associated with the fiddle and tenor guitar, but has also mastered the viola and banjo...
), have lived in Frome since 2002. - The cricketer Colin DredgeColin DredgeColin Herbert Dredge was an English first-class cricketer for Somerset. He was known as the "Demon of Frome", a nickname coined by journalist, Alan Gibson....
was born in Frome in 1954. - Alfred Pee Wee EllisPee Wee EllisAlfred "Pee Wee" Ellis is an American saxophonist, composer and arranger. He was an important member of James Brown's band in the 1960s and appeared on many of Brown's most notable recordings...
(born 1941 in Bradenton, Florida), saxophonist, composer and arranger, lives locally. He was an important member of James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's band in the 1960s. He also worked closely with Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
. - The philosopher Joseph GlanvillJoseph GlanvillJoseph Glanvill was an English writer, philosopher, and clergyman. Not himself a scientist, he has been called "the most skillful apologist of the virtuosi", or in other words the leading propagandist for the approach of the English natural philosophers of the later 17th century.-Life:He was...
was Vicar of Frome from 1662 to 1666. - Danny GoffeyDanny GoffeyDaniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey (born 7 February 1974 in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) is an English musician and singer-songwriter best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the English Britpop band, Supergrass...
of the rock band SupergrassSupergrassSupergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
, and his wife Pearl LowePearl Lowe-External links:*...
of the band PowderPowder (band)Powder were a Britpop band, who existed between 1994 and 1997, and released three singles on Parkway Records. Signed in late 1994 by music public relations agents John Best and Phill Savidge, they were the first band on the label. Powder were fronted by Pearl Lowe, with songwriters Mark Thomas on...
, live in the town. - Guy Green, film directorFilm directorA film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriterScreenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and cinematographerCinematographerA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
who won an Oscar for Great ExpectationsGreat Expectations (1946 film)Great Expectations is a 1946 British film which won two Academy Awards and was nominated for three others...
, was born at 4 Portway in Frome in 1913. - Charlie HigsonCharlie HigsonCharles Murray Higson , more commonly known as Charlie Higson - also Switch - is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer...
of The Fast ShowThe Fast ShowThe Fast Show, known as Brilliant in the US, was a BBC comedy sketch show programme that ran for three series from 1994 to 1997 with a special Last Fast Show Ever in 2000. The show's central performers were Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Mark Williams, John Thomson, Arabella Weir and...
was born in Frome in 1958. - Actor James LaurensonJames LaurensonJames Laurenson is a New Zealand actor, who has performed many classical roles on stage and television.Laurenson was born in Marton, New Zealand...
lives in the town. - Lois MaxwellLois MaxwellLois Maxwell was a Canadian actress.Maxwell began her film career in the late 1940s, and won a Golden Globe Award for the New Actress of the Year for her performance in That Hagen Girl...
, who played Miss MoneypennyMiss MoneypennyJane Moneypenny, better known as Miss Moneypenny, is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. She is secretary to M, who is Bond's boss and head of the British Secret Service...
in the James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film series from 1962 to 1985, lived in Frome from 1994 to 2001. - Kevin McCloudKevin McCloudKevin McCloud is a British designer, writer and television presenter best known for his work on the Channel 4 series Grand Designs. He lives in a 15th-century farmhouse in Frome, Somerset, with his wife Suzanna "Zani" who runs an online interior decoration business, and their two children, Milo ...
, presenter of TV's Grand DesignsGrand DesignsGrand Designs is a British television series produced by Talkback Thames and broadcast on Channel 4 which features unusual and often elaborate architectural home-building projects....
lives near Frome. - Sir Charles OatleyCharles OatleySir Charles William Oatley OBE, FRS FREng was Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Cambridge, 1960–1971, and developer of one of the first commercial scanning electron microscopes....
, developer of one of the first commercial scanning electron microscopeScanning electron microscopeA scanning electron microscope is a type of electron microscope that images a sample by scanning it with a high-energy beam of electrons in a raster scan pattern...
s, was born at 5 Badcox in Frome in 1904. - Anthony PowellAnthony PowellAnthony Dymoke Powell CH, CBE was an English novelist best known for his twelve-volume work A Dance to the Music of Time, published between 1951 and 1975....
, writer of A Dance to the Music of TimeA Dance to the Music of TimeA Dance to the Music of Time is a twelve-volume cycle of novels by Anthony Powell, inspired by the painting of the same name by Nicolas Poussin. One of the longest works of fiction in literature, it was published between 1951 and 1975 to critical acclaim...
, lived near Frome from 1952 to his death in 2000. - William Henry "Billy" ReedWilliam Henry ReedWilliam Henry "Billy" Reed was an English violinist, teacher, minor composer, conductor and biographer of Sir Edward Elgar...
, violinist, composer and biographer of Edward ElgarEdward ElgarSir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
, was born in Christ Church Street in Frome in 1875. - Kate RewKate RewKate Rew is a journalist and author who founded the Outdoor Swimming Society. Her bestselling book, "Wild Swim", helped further the recent growth in popularity of wild swimming.-Early life:...
, author and wild swimmer. - Christina RossettiChristina RossettiChristina Georgina Rossetti was an English poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children's poems...
(poet, and sister of Dante Gabriel RossettiDante Gabriel RossettiDante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, painter and translator. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 with William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais, and was later to be the main inspiration for a second generation of artists and writers influenced by the movement,...
), helped her mother run a day school in Frome in 1853/4. - Henry Thomas RyallHenry Thomas RyallHenry Thomas Ryall was an English line, stipple and mixed-method engraver and later used mixed mezzotint.Ryall was appointed the royal engraver by Queen Victoria. Forty of his works appear in the National Portrait Gallery in London.-Life:...
, royal engraver to Queen Victoria, was born in Frome in 1811. - Richard VranchRichard VranchRichard Leslie Vranch is a British comedian, actor and musician.Vranch improvises comedy on stage with the Comedy Store Players every Wednesday and Sunday at The Comedy Store in London. He has voiced British Airways TV and radio commercials since 2003, and he narrates TV documentaries...
of Whose Line Is It Anyway?Whose Line Is It Anyway?Whose Line Is It Anyway? is a short-form improvisational comedy TV show. Originally a British radio programme, it moved to television in 1988 as a series made for the UK's Channel 4, for a 10 series run...
was born in Frome in 1959. - Sir Charles WilkinsCharles WilkinsSir Charles Wilkins, KH, FRS , was an English typographer and Orientalist, notable as the first translator of Bhagavad Gita into English, and as the creator of the first Devanagari typeface....
, the first translator of Bhagavad GitaBhagavad GitaThe ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
into English, was born in Frome around 1749.