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'Frome' (pronounced ) is a medium-sized town in Somerset, England, near the Mendip Hills. From AD 950 to 1650, it was larger than Bath, to the north. The town originally grew due to the weaving industry, and weavers' cottages can still be found, contrasting with Georgian terraces. The town has grown substantially in recent years but still retains its centre, most of which falls within a conservation area. Notable modern day attractions include the museum, the Cheese and Grain hall where many bands play, and the restored Rook Lane Chapel.
It is unevenly built on high ground above the River Frome, which is here crossed by a stone bridge of five arches. It was formerly called Frome or Froome Selwood, after the neighbouring forest of Selwood; and the country surround is still richly wooded and picturesque.
Population of the urban district in 1901 was 11,057.

Contents

History

Arts

Frome Festival

Politics

Sport

Football

Cricket

Historic Buildings

Parish Church

The Blue House

Rook Lane Chapel

Army Cadets

Suburbs

Notable residents

In pop culture

References

External links

History

The Saxon occupation of Frome (''From'') is the earliest of which there is evidence, the settlement being due to the foundation of a monastery by Aldhelm in 705. A ''witenagemot'' was held there in 934, so that Frome must already have been a place of some size. At the time of the Domesday Survey the manor was owned by King William. 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. It was not represented in parliament until given one member by the Reform Act of 1832. Separate representation ceased in 1885. Frome was never incorporated.
A charter of Henry VII to Edmund Leversedge, then lord of the manor, granted the right to have fairs on July 22 and September 21. In the 18th century two other fairs on February 24 and November 25 were held. Cattle fairs are now held on the last Wednesday in February and November, and a cheese fair on the last Wednesday in September. The Wednesday market is held under the charter of Henry VII. There is also a Saturday cattle market. The manufacture of woollen cloth has been established since the 15th century, Frome being the only Somerset town in which this staple industry has flourished continuously.
On February 12 2003, Frome was granted Fairtrade Town status.

Arts

Frome has a thriving arts scene with an arts centre (The Black Swan), two theatres (The Merlin and The Memorial), plus The Cheese and Grain, a former farm produce warehouse which was converted into a market and concert hall in 1997. With a capacity of up to 800, the Cheese and Grain has become an important popular music venue in the South West of England.
Local musicians include American saxophonist Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis; frequently broadcast Hardcore punk band "Baysix" and the well known Beatles' tribute "Sgt. Pepper's Only Dart Board Band".
The town's main college, Frome Community College, has specialist "media arts" status and has many professional media staff to aid the students learning to best effect.

Frome Festival

The annual ten-day Frome Festival, starting the first Friday in July, is Somerset's largest community festival, with more than 160 events held at various venues in and around the town.

Politics

Frome has a thriving liberal political scene. The current representative for Somerton and Frome and is Liberal Democrat MP David Heath CBE, although the seat has been hotly contested for many years by the Conservatives. During the general election of 2005, in which 70% of those eligible turned out to vote, David Heath increased their majority to over 800 votes (1.5% of the total).^[1]

Sport

Football

Badgers Hill is the home of Western Football League side Frome Town F.C. It is a small ground but does the job for the club. The Frome Town ladies' team also plays at Badgers Hill.

Cricket

Frome Cricket Club play cricket at the Showground on the Bath side of town. The club was formed in 1925 and, for the 2007 season, play 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.

Historic Buildings

The market-hall, museum, school of art, and a free grammar school, founded under Edward VI, may be noted among buildings and institutions. The chief industries are brewing and art metal-working, also printing, metal-founding, and the manufacture of cloth, silk, tools and cards for wool dressing. Dairy farming is largely practised in the neighbourhood. Selwood Forest was long a favourite haunt of brigands, and even in the 18th century gave shelter to a gang of coiners and highwaymen.
The town has a great many grade II listed buildings, as well as some which are grade I and grade II
★ listed .

Parish Church

The parish church of St John the Baptist, with its fine tower and spire, was built between the late 12th and early 15th centuries replacing a saxon building that had stood since 685AD, and, though largely restored around 1860, has a beautiful chancel, Lady chapel and baptistery. Fragments of Norman work are left; the interior is elaborately adorned with sculptures and stained glass. It is a grade II
★ listed building.^[2]

The Blue House

Formerly the Bluecoat School and Almshouses. Built in 1726, it now provides studio flats for 17 residents. It is a grade I listed building.^[3]

Rook Lane Chapel

Rook Lane Chapel is a noncomformist chapel built in 1705 which closed in the 1960s. It is now owned by a firm of architects who converted the Chapel into a community facility with the galleried upper floor is used as office space. It is a grade I listed building.^[4]

Army Cadets

Frome Platoon, of the Somerset Army Cadet Force, is also a proud feature of the town. The cadets parade every Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7:00-9:30, and enjoy many exciting activities. Frome ACF also trains as a military band, with bugles, drums, and glockenspiels. The band performs at many events, all over the county, and always leads the front of the Frome Remembrance Parade.

Suburbs

Frome's main suburban areas are :-

★ Fromefield

★ Critchill

★ Stonebridge

★ Innox Hill

★ Keyford

★ Berkley Down

★ Marston Gate.

Notable residents

Perhaps Frome's most famous son of late is Formula 1 racing driver Jenson Button, who achieved his first Grand Prix win at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix on 6 August 2006; his mother stills lives nearby.
Alfred Pee Wee Ellis (born 1941 in Bradenton, Florida) 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. He also worked closely with Van Morrison.
^[5]
Richard Vranch of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and Comedy Store fame was also born in Frome on June 29, 1959.
Dr Stephen Vranch, past President of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, was also born in Frome on May 19, 1946.

In pop culture

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''.

References

1. BBC News Election Results
2. Parish Church of St John the Baptist
3. The Blue House
4. Rook Lane Chapel
5. BBC Reports Button's first Grand Prix win

External links

★ BBC Somerset

★ Frome Tourist Information

★ Guide to Frome

★ Frome Town Talk

★ Frome Cricket Club

★ Frome Festival

★ The Somerset Urban Archaeological Survey: Frome, by Clare Gathercole

★ Photos of Frome in 3d (Anaglyphs)

★ The County of Somerset