Frome in 50 Buildings

The Somerset market town of Frome has a rich history, with many architectural gems waiting to be discovered. Founded by St Aldhelm in AD 685, the town grew with the development of the cloth trade and major industries. It has the most listed buildings in Somerset and is renowned for its Nonconformist chapels and vernacular buildings. This book highlights fifty of the town's finest buildings and structures from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries, offering an insight into its heritage and development.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2024
Publisher: Amberley Publishing

Nestled at the eastern tip of the Mendip Hills, the historic Somerset market town of Frome boasts a rich tapestry of history, eagerly awaiting exploration among its picturesque streets lined with architectural treasures. Founded by the monk St. Aldhelm in approximately AD 685, the town sits atop a hillside adorned with numerous springs, where Aldhelm constructed a minster church that later became the revered site of St. John's Church. While Frome had three mills and a fair documented in the Domesday Book, its growth truly flourished with the flourishing of the cloth trade. By the end of the seventeenth century, a new town had emerged to cater to the cloth workers on the woad fields, leading to a rapid population increase until the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars. During the nineteenth century, major industries thrived, sustaining the town's economy and fostering the development of notable establishments such as a brass foundry, supply to the gas industry, and printing. Frome holds the distinction of having the highest number of listed buildings in Somerset, and it is particularly renowned for its exceptional quality of Nonconformist chapels and eighteenth-century vernacular buildings. In this captivating book, author Alastair MacLeay showcases fifty of Frome's finest buildings and structures spanning from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries. Frome in 50 Buildings offers a captivating journey through time, unveiling the town's historical, economic, and civic development through the lens of its architectural heritage. The stories behind the inns, chapels, industrial buildings, schools, and houses provide an insightful and remarkable glimpse into Frome's rich tapestry, shedding light on its past and contributing to a deeper understanding of its significance.

Weight: 328g
Dimension: 232 x 164 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781445692319