News / river frome
Could the River Frome reappear from underneath the Centre?
If you follow Bristol’s current street network, you can still see where the River Frome used to flow above ground before being culverted over the last couple of centuries.
It still flows underneath our feet from the Cascade Steps, under the Centre and beneath the Galleries before reappearing (or disappearing) next to Wellington Road in St Jude’s close to Cabot Circus car park.
When Sean Donnelly, landlord of the Three Lions pub in Bedminster, stood for mayor in 2021, his main policy was to reopen up the Frome to bring “vibrancy” back to the Centre.
is needed now More than ever
Other cities including Sheffield have been reopening rivers that once used to flow through their streets.
But reopening the Frome has been ruled out by a leading councillor as “very, very expensive” as Bristol City Council reveal new plans to pave over the area between the Cascade Steps and the Neptune statue, removing the faulty fountains and a few trees in the process.
St Augustine’s Bridge in the 1900s, with the Colston Hall in the background – photo: Bristol Archives
The Frome was open all along its length until 1858 where it was crossed in the city by 13 bridges, some of them dating back to medieval times.
Stonebridge House near Christmas Steps and the Drawbridge pub are two reminders of these crossings, and it was from Stone Bridge to Wade Street in St Jude’s that the river was covered over with brick culverts during the second half of the 19th century.
Much of St Augustine’s Trench – the 13th century re-routing of the Frome – was covered over in 1893 to create space to host the Industrial & Fine Arts Exhibition before becoming the tramways centre.
Just under three decades ago, the council consulted the public on reopening the culverted River Frome, but decided to build the current ‘Centre promenade’ there instead.
Cardiff is another city in the UK where a project similar to the ‘docks option’ is taking place on Canal Street in the city centre, where a buried canal has been opened up.
Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Brown, chair of the economy policy committee, has said, however, that in Bristol, a similar scheme to reopen up the Frome would cost too much.
“People will have different views about the area,” Brown said.
“Some people want to go back to having a harbour, some people will want the flower planters of the 70s.
“That would be very, very expensive and the council doesn’t have that kind of money.
“Ultimately, we’ve got constrained budgets and this is doing what we can within the constraints of that, to improve the space for everyone.”
Join Bristol24/7 Editor, Martin Booth, on a walking tour around the Old City and Castle Park to explore more of the history of the River Frome. To find out more and to book tickets, visit www.yuup.co/experiences/explore-bristol-s-quirkiest-corners
Main photo: Martin Booth
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