Frome's Georgian Buildings

ARCHITECTURAL historian Amy Frost, the collections manager of the Building of Bath Museum and curator of Beckford's Tower and Museum, was speaker at the Frome Society for Local Study and the Frome and District Civic Society November talk.

Bath is famous for its Georgian buildings and the names of the architects became well known beyond the city boundaries.

Despite the fact that Frome is so close to Bath and that, in Frome, Thomas Bunn was so keen to emulate (overtake) Bath in the architectural stakes there would appear to be very little known of the work of Bath architects in Frome.

Dr Frost cast her knowledgeable and critical eye over some of Frome's best-known buildings and using a mix of hard research and professional insight addressed some of the issues affecting the influence of Bath architects in Frome.

She described the work of some well-known Bath architects showing the features that distinguished their work. Using this knowledge she then considered some of the well-known Frome buildings.

Some buildings are known to be the work of Bath architects. Both Welshmill House and Fromefield House are almost certainly the work of Thomas Baldwin.

Henry Goodridge was responsible for the design of Holy Trinity Church (despite never once visiting the site). The final result became a source of some annoyance to Bunn whose diaries record his displeasure.

Manners and Gill were responsible for the Gothic refinements added to Christchurch and the work of Charles Davis is seen at the old Police Station on Wesley Slope. Wilson and Wilcox were known to be responsible for the School and attached houses, also on Wesley Slope.

However, there is doubt about the origins of the former Assembly Rooms (now the NatWest Bank) which were believed to be the work of John Pinch but Dr Frost now considers this unlikely. Nevertheless, Pinch's influence can be seen in the design of Bath Street as it rises up the hill.

It is surprising that Bath architects did not have more influence in Frome. However, by the end of the end of the 19th century, Frome had its own architects practising in the town. Also, many more famous architects were publishing pattern books for houses which could be freely used by master builders of the day.

Written by Margery Hyde.

Source: This is Somerset