Peter Macfadyen

The River Frome. This town is here because of the river.  Historically there was an important crossing point here, before the river became a source of power for weaving wool then for iron works.  There were more weirs and mills here than anywhere else in the UK. Now the river is a thread through the town.  Paths, and a carefully preserved ‘flood meadow’ are a key feature in this thriving town – it is the focus of our community.

There is a Friends of River Frome which is a focus for highlighting the river’s needs.  Recently many hundreds of people have been protesting at possible development that will reduce access to the river. There is a high level of awareness around pollution and constant efforts to ensure it is reduced.  The town council is constantly engaged in trying to ensure that building and encroachment do not happen. As a councilor I was one of those who tried to enact a legal bye-law to give the river rights. On the one hand we failed (the national government rejected our submissions)....but on the other, we succeeded:  Ever since the attempt people have come to Frome to hear about the bye-law; written about it; included it in their academic work and been inspired by the ethos behind the attempt.

Slowly humanity is coming to understand that humankind is just one species amongst those which inhabit the vibrant ecosystem in the tiny layer of air that surrounds planet Earth.  Slowly we are coming to see time differently and understand that before and after us there were and will be mountains, seas and rivers.  Slowly we are coming to recognize that deep inside us we revered these timeless places in our past and they hold deep spiritual as well as practical places within us.  All this is, of course, not new to the remaining indigenous peoples, who can help us to see where we have gone wrong.

Peter Macfadyen

The River Frome, Frome, Somerset, UK

Friends of the River Frome

Cover Image by Friends of the Frome River