The River Frome
The River Frome rises in Dodington Park on the
lower slopes of the Cotswolds. It follows a winding south-westerly course
towards Bristol. It is about 20 miles long from it’s source to it’s mouth which
now is part of the Floating Harbour at Bristol city centre.
Parts
of the last 2 ˝ miles of the river run through built up areas where it has been
culverted. That is, it has been covered and runs under ground. The part I am
most interested in is known as the Frome Valley, which is a conservation area
that runs between Stapleton and Frenchay.
Although
a small river, it has quite significant history as far as the local area and
it’s development is concerned.
The
river Frome has 2 main tributaries (streams that flow into it) ;they are
Bradley Brook and Folly Brook. There are also many other smaller ones, like the
one that flows through Hambrook, and many ditches drain into it.
There were many farm settlements in the area some
of which are still here today and have been farming land for over 300 years.
The two main kinds of farming in the area around the river Frome were market
gardening and dairy farming. Both took advantage of the easy access to water
from the various streams and wells that flow into the river. The dairy farmers
especially relied on water to give to the cattle to drink and to help keep the
milk cool.
Along the Frome are the
mills that were working there from the 15th century onwards. From
Stapleton to Frenchay there were 6
mills which made use of the drop in the river bed (nearly 50 ft.) in
this section. These were originally corn mills, but later were converted into
other uses, e.g. snuff, flock, etc.
Now, all that remains
are the weirs except at Snuff Mills where the wheel has been restored by the
Local History Society.
Due to the deep waters and the fast flow of the
river Frome, mill ponds were not needed and the wheels that drove the mills
were driven by the water flowing beneath them. This is called ‘undershot’.
Other industries included the making of iron
tools, beer, hats, files, soap and
candles, pins and nails. These are commonly called ‘Cottage industries’
because they took place in peoples homes.
Another popular industry
in the area was Quarrying and it was the work provided by both these and the
mills that brought people to the area
to settle in the many villages springing up by the river.
Settlements and Places- Their names and origins.
The name Frome comes from the Anglo-Saxon word
‘frum’, meaning rapid, vigorous.
Frenchay has become
changed from the name ‘Fromeshaw’ which means ‘small wood by the frome’.
Winterbourne means a
‘winter stream’ (probably Bradley Brook which flows into the Frome). This is a
stream which has more water in it in the winter than the summer and so was more
useful at that time for milling.
Boundaries.
The river Frome does not cross any national
boundaries but it and the tributaries flowing into it form many local parish
and village boundaries themselves. Together with the river Avon, the Frome also
helped to provide a natural defence boundary for the city of Bristol which is
probably why Bristol grew up where it did, protected on all sides by water.
Causes and effects of changes in the River.
Although the River Frome has been very useful in
the past, it has also been a bit of a nuisance because in periods of heavy rain
or melting snow it becomes too full and overflows causing floods. Sometimes
bridges have been washed away by the rushing water. In Bristol in years gone
by, the Frome caused some very serious floods and damage to property in the city. In the reaches near Frenchay
there was a serious flooding in the past, especially between 1882 and 1889.
Bristol corporation has constructed a storm water channel with concreted sides
to act as a measuring weir to control the flow of the water.
In
the 13th century the end of the river Frome was converted into the
floating harbour due to the increase in trading in Bristol.
Frome Valley
Visitors Guide and Nature Trail- Published by the Open Spaces and Amenities
Committee, City of Bristol
The Mid Frome
Valley- An Environmental Study by G. R.Morris, M.A.
www.fromevalleyconservation.com
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