The Walk - April.qxp_Layout 1 19/03/2020 13:07 Page 1
The Orangery from Wicks Pool
An avenue of trees
Frampton Churchyard
On foot in Frampton
Andrew Swift follows the towpath in Frampton to explore a country village: he discovers a village green named after the tragic mistress of an English monarch, a chocolate factory, a malthouse and a woolbarn
F
rampton on Severn has the rare distinction of featuring two rivers in its name. Curiously, though, neither the Severn nor the Frome – which gave it its original name of Frometon – flows through the village. There is another waterway, however – the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal – which passes much closer to Frampton, and it is along this towpath that we set off to explore what is widely hailed as one of England’s most beautiful villages. Such plaudits are due not to Frampton’s setting, but to the way it seems to have grown slowly and organically over the centuries. It has its architectural showpieces, to be sure, but for the most part it is more modest buildings – some dating from the middle ages – that catch the eye. The overall impression is one of spaciousness. Nothing seems crowded, and, with so much room to expand, old buildings were, as long as they remained fit for purpose, generally left alone. And with such continuity, echoes of the past seem to linger. The village green, one of the largest in England, is known as Rosamund’s Green, after Rosamund Clifford, Henry II’s tragic mistress, whose family have been lords of the manor since the 11th century. It is, however, only fair to warn you that, as well as being spread out, Frampton also has lots of muddy paths, so stout footwear is essential. By the same token, if you are thinking that
28 TheBATHMagazine
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aPRiL 2020
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issue 210
a walk round a village sounds a little tame, think of it as a country walk with more than the usual quota of interesting buildings. As for getting there, public transport is sadly not an option. The start point, however, is a mere 2.5 miles from Junction 13 of the M5 – although a more pleasant option is to head north from Bath along the A46 for 20 miles before cutting across country through Frocester. As you enter Frampton, turn right, following a sign for Saul Junction. After 900m, turn left, cross a swing bridge and turn right into a car park. Saul, incidentally, got its name from the sallows or willows that are so abundant hereabouts. The canal opened in 1827 and at the time was the widest in the world. Head south along the towpath past the swing bridge. The factory you pass on the opposite bank as you approach the next swing bridge was built by Cadbury’s in 1916 to blend cocoa beans and sugar with milk from local farms before they were shipped to Bournville for further processing. As you pass the swing bridge, look out for the bridge-keeper’s cottage – one of several along the canal – a miniature Greek Revival gem. A little further along the towpath is Saul Lodge, built for the canal company’s chief engineer. Beyond it, views open up westward across the Severn. After another 1500m, cross the canal at Splatt Swing Bridge, follow the lane ahead and turn left at a T-junction.
After passing a converted 18th-century malthouse, turn left. Timber-framed Church Court Cottage, set back behind gardens on the right, dates from the 17th century. Beyond it is St Mary’s church, with elaborately carved gravestones in the churchyard and a giant processional figure of St Blaise inside. Just past the church, go through a squeeze stile, turn right alongside the churchyard wall and follow the path as it leads through an avenue of trees. On your right, as you emerge through the lych gate at the end, are Buckholt Cottages and Buckholt House, both of local brick. Notice, as you turn right along the lane, how Buckholt House has been extended south not once but twice. Although many of the houses along the lane are modern, some are much older – cruck-framed Wild Goose Cottage on the left, for instance, or the Old Thatch, with a boarded gable end, on the right. Both probably date from the 15th century. As the lane curves right, carry straight on past 17th-century Oegrove Farm – looking to the right as you do so to see a 400-year-old wattle-panelled barn. Just past Denfurlong Farm, turn left along a footpath. After 250m, when you come to a pair of metal gates, cross a stile and carry straight on. The lakes bordering the path here are flooded gravel pits. There was quarrying here as early as the 17th century, but large-scale extraction only began around 1900, when much of the
