Frome

Frome ( ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills on the River Frome, south of Bath. At the 2021 census, it had a population of 28,567. Frome was one of the largest towns in Somerset until the Industrial Revolution. It first grew due to the wool and cloth industry, and later diversified into metal-working and printing. The town was enlarged during the 20th century but retains a 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, sporting and cultural centre for the surrounding area, including the annual Frome Festival and Frome Museum.

Governance

There are two tiers of local government covering Frome, at parish (town) and unitary authority level: Frome Town Council and Somerset Council. The town council is based at Frome Town Hall on Christchurch Street West. For national elections, the town forms part of the Frome and East Somerset constituency.

Initiatives

In early 2015, the UK's first high street library of things was set up in the town. In one year (May 2018 to April 2019), use of the shop helped avoid 92 tonnes CO2e of greenhouse gas emissions, saved 117,000 kg of material usage and avoided 10 tonnes of manufacturing waste. In the same period its members collectively saved £66,800 by borrowing instead of buying items. The Town Council installed the first community fridge in the country in May 2016; 90,000 items a year have been saved from landfill. This was joined by a community larder in October 2017. On 13 December 2017 the Town Council unanimously agreed to become a 'single-use plastic'-free council. Frome has an online market, the Food Hub launched in November 2018, where sustainable supplies from local farmers and food producers can be sourced, either for collection or by delivery (central Frome only). There are both formal and informal public green spaces within the town; some such as the Victoria Park or the Rodden Meadow are substantial; others are smaller but are valued within their neighbourhoods, such as Weylands or the Dippy. Many of the public spaces have organised litter picks, arranged by local community groups.

Administrative history

Frome was an ancient parish in the Frome hundred of Somerset. As well as the town itself, the parish historically included surrounding rural areas. The parish was sometimes known as "Frome Selwood". In 1832 the town became the Frome parliamentary borough (constituency). The first election was disputed by two well-known local men, who were personal enemies: Sir Thomas Champneys and Thomas Sheppard, a Tory and a Radical or Whig respectively. There were only 322 registered voters. On the first day, 10 December, Champneys arrived with hundreds of armed men and boys, who attacked Sheppard's supporters. A Sheppard supporter, Thomas Ford, was badly injured and died later. Special constables were sworn in by the magistrates in the George Inn. The mob besieged the building and smashed the windows. Sheppard retreated to his home, Fromefield House, guarded by 300 men. Dragoons were brought from Trowbridge to neighbouring Beckington. Early on the second day, Sheppard had gained 163 votes. The opponents attacked the Crown Inn trying to get at Sheppard in the George Inn next door; a draper's house was destroyed. Several constables were stoned and injured. The Riot Act was read. Constables with carbines opened fire. At 3pm the Dragoons arrived and the battle was halted. Having won 100 votes to Sheppard's 163, Champneys resigned. Sheppard won the next three elections, remaining Frome's MP until 1847. The Frome parliamentary borough subsequently also became a local government district in 1865, administered by an elected local board. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts under the Local Government Act 1894, which also directed that civil parishes could no longer straddle district boundaries. The parish of Frome was therefore reduced to match the urban district, and the surrounding rural parts of the parish became a separate parish called Selwood. In 1953, Frome Urban District Council was granted a coat of arms. Frome Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The area then became part of the new Mendip District. A successor parish called Frome covering the former urban district was created as part of the 1974 reforms, with its parish council taking the name Frome Town Council. Mendip district was abolished in 2023. Somerset County Council then took over district-level functions across its area, making it a unitary authority, and was renamed Somerset Council.

Media

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West and ITV West Country. Television signals are received from the Mendip TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Somerset on 95.5 FM, Heart West on 102.6 FM, Greatest Hits Radio West Somerset on 107.5 FM, and FromeFM, a community based radio station which broadcast to the town on 96.6 FM. The town's local newspaper is the Frome Times.

Twin towns

Frome has three twin towns: Château-Gontier in France, Murrhardt in Germany and Rabka-Zdrój in Poland.

Names in other languages