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Saint Aldhelm: Founder of the Town of Frome
In about 685 AD Aldhelm, with
group of monks, settled on
clearing by the edge
of the great forest of Selwood,
by a handy ford
over the river Frome and
close to the ancient tracks
across the hill tops,
as the place to found
the monastery
which was to become the town of Frome.
The church was dedicated
to John the Baptist,
an unusually common
dedication
in this area, connected
with Somerset's reputation
as a wet county,
but really to
accommodate into Christianity
a local Pagan custom
of venerating a water deity.
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Rook Lane Chapel, built 1721
Through lack of development since the collapse of the wool industry 200 years ago, Frome now has more buildings listed
as being of architectural or historic value than any other town of its size in Britain.
St. John The Baptist Church
Original site 685
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Frome is a town of enormous charm,
with its steep, winding streets,
its wealth of beautiful old buildings and
its friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
It has more listed buildings
than any other town
in Somerset (357 at the last count),
many of them reminders of
a rich Wessex industrial history
of cloth, agriculture & country market trading.
It remains
the biggest of the five Mendip towns
and is renown for its thriving community.
All About Frome
A Few Links
Somerset
Archives Office
Family
and Local History Frome
Somerset
County Council
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Some Reading Material About Fromme
Frome: A Special Town
The book is a 128 page,large format book of articles, tributes and photographs of Frome, beautifully printed by quality
local printer Butler and Tanner, who offered their services free of charge.
Dr John Moxon,the editor
claims it is the
first cased book by multiple authors about Frome, Samuel CUZNER in 1866 apparently wrote the first book on
"Froome-Selwood" which was also printed by Butler and Tanner.
The Book of Frome, Frome Through the Ages, Frome Place Names,
Frome in Picture Postcards
(3 volumes)
and Crime and Punishment
in Regency Frome all by local historian and prolific writer about Frome, Michael
McGarvie.
The Making of Frome by Peter Belham
Frome ,Then and Now by G Russell
Frome ,in Old Photographs and Bath Street, Frome both by Derek Gill
The Buildings of Frome
by Rodney Goodall
Going, Going, Gone! History of Frome's Livestock Market
by Alan Sandall.
Frome Bookstores you may want to contact:
Hunting Raven Bookshop
Cheap Street, Frome
Telephone: 01373 473111
Frome Bookshop Ltd
9 Stony Street
Telephone:01373 463308
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FROME
