I set off optimistically after these stones, hoping that things so sizeable would be easily spotted. I was wrong. It didn’t help that I didn’t bring the notes below with me.
It would certainly have been a good spot – high on the hill overlooking the river valley below. But now it’s a sprawling housing estate which has lost its shine. It was muggy and uncomfortable, and people do give you funny looks when you’re staring in their gardens in a cul-de-sac. I suppose I could have asked for help but I could just imagine the blank expressions so didn’t have the heart. Perhaps the stones are still here somewhere. If you’re ever in Frome please take a look. I want them to be here. I don’t want to think that people would get rid of their stones – you’d think they’d make a nice landscaping feature. This was disappointing.
I remember the stones as a child living in Leys Lane. They were bulldosed and broken up in about 1970. Interestingly, when they started to build the house that is now on the site they broke into a sealed underground cavern directly below where the stones stood. They then brought in umpteen and one lorry loads of concrete and filled the cavern and blocked the hole and landscaped over it. I hope that this explains why you "missed it".
That's so interesting to hear, thank you for that! A bit depressing to hear their fate. You make it sound like the barrow must have been a sizeable structure once.
How strange that a house has been built on top of a barrow, I wonder if it has a strange vibe. I found this post as was in Frome the other day and was intrigued by the spring flowing gushing from 'fountain' by the entrance of St John's Church; it disappears into a drain and re-emerges a few metres away at the top of Cheap Street where it flows downhill in a gulley. Reminded me a lot of Wells ... was wondering if anyone knew anything about this spring (must have been a sacred site before the church was built).
Ah Cheap Street, I know the culvert indeed, June. Fortunately I've never fallen in that one, but every time I go to Wells I have some incident with the ones there, they're like watery magnets to me for some reason.
I found this
people.bath.ac.uk/liskmj/living-spring/sourcearchive/ns1/ns1jr1.htm
which isn't that encouraging
but it's nice to see the well features in the life of the church still
bathandwells.org.uk/churchesandparishes/gallery/album/72157627415758136/
Thanks for the interesting links Rhiannon. The first one says the Frome well is 'completely unregarded' - I did get that impression too, as one of the local cafes has their metal advertising boards standing almost in front of it.
I also read there are mysterious underground tunnels under Frome but I guess that's another story ...
I am doing a lot of research into this for an article in the local historical journal. I would be very grateful if Skidmore Cyder would drop me a line & discuss things,
Hengist
I have emailed SC with your details.
Thanks
TMA Ed.