River Frome, Stroud

For other uses of Frome, see Frome (disambiguation).

River Frome at Stroud

The River Frome, once also known as the Stroudwater, is a small river in Gloucestershire, England. It is to be distinguished from another River Frome in Gloucestershire, the Bristol Frome.

The Stroud Frome rises in a culmination of springs at Nettleton, about a mile south east of Birdlip and in springs at Climperwell Farm (SW of Brimsfield). The two branches join together in Miserden Park just south of Caudle Green. The river is recognised as the "Frome" at Caudle Green (north of Miserden). The Frome continues to meander its way south to Sapperton, then west towards Stroud. The river flows through Stroud continuing north west through Ebley and Stonehouse where it goes under the M5, then on to Saul where it enters the River Severn at Upper Framilode.

At Caudle Green the eastern side of the valley rises to the North sea/Atlantic watershed, approximately one mile to the east. The Frome basin shares a length of this watershed feeding into the River Thames to the east (via the River Churn) and the Severn to the West (via the Frome)

The Golden Valley in Autumn

From Sapperton the River Frome runs adjacent to the Stroudwater Canal which is now disused, although undergoing repairs. The Stroudwater Canal, fed by the Frome, was an important and essential part of Stroud's growth as a town. The canal was a thriving thoroughfare for trade, putting Stroud on the map, during the industrial revolution. At Stonehouse the River was part of a novel, ill-fated, scheme by John Kemmett, around 1760, to create a canal without locks. It was the first known attempt at containerisation.^{[citation needed]}

The river is approximately 18 miles (29 km) long.

The valley from Chalford to Stroud, known as the Golden Valley is one of the Stroud Five Valleys; it carries the railway line and canal to the Sapperton Tunnels under the Cotswolds.

External links

• The River Frome at Stonehouse