Frampton on Severn is a village and civil parish in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, England. The population is 1,432.

Geography

The village is approximately south of

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

, at . It lies on the east bank of the

River Severn The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...

, and on the west bank of the River Frome, from which it takes its name. The village is linked by

footpath A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as Motor vehicle, motorized vehicles, bicycles and horseback, horses. They ...

to the

Sharpness Canal The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal (also known as the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal) is a ship canal in the west of England, between Gloucester and Sharpness, completed in 1827. For much of its length the canal runs close to the tidal River Sev ...

. There is a large

village green A village green is a commons, common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common pasture, grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for ...

, in size and reputedly the longest in England. The green was known as Rosamund's Green by the mid-17th century, apparently from the village's association with

Fair Rosamund Rosamund Clifford (possibly before 1140 1176), often called "The Fair Rosamund" or "Rose of the World" (Latin: ''rosa mundi''), was a medieval English noblewoman and mistress of Henry II, King of England. She became famous in English folklore. ...

. There is a designated

Conservation Area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

around the green, including Tudor and Georgian houses, and the village also has a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

, Frampton Pools. Much of the village forms part of the

Frampton Court Frampton Court is a Grade I listed country house and estate of about in Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, England. It has been owned by the Clifford family since the 11th century. The main buildings are the 18th century Frampton Court and, o ...

Estate, owned by the Clifford family. The

Gloucester and Sharpness Canal The Gloucester and Sharpness Canal (also known as the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal) is a ship canal in the west of England, between Gloucester and Sharpness, completed in 1827. For much of its length the canal runs close to the tidal River S ...

runs to the west side of the village and the green has three ponds. There are two pubs on The Green: The Bell Inn and The Three Horseshoes.

Governance

There is a parish council, consisting of nine members. The village falls in the 'Severn'

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

. This ward starts in the north east at Moreton Valence then follows the

M5 motorway The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West England, South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 motorway, M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Brom ...

south west to

Slimbridge Slimbridge is a village and civil parish near Dursley in Gloucestershire, England. It is best known as the home of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's Slimbridge Reserve which was started by Sir Peter Scott. Canal and Patch Bridge The Glou ...

. The total ward population at the 2011 census was 4,760.

History

The

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

mentioned the manor of Frampton in 1089. The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

of St Mary the Virgin was consecrated in 1315 but partly dates from the 12th century, while the

congregational church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...

was built in 1769. The

Elver Eating World Championships The Elver Eating World Championships are held annually in Frampton on Severn in Gloucestershire, England. Elvers of the European eel were historically an important foodstuff in the Severn Valley and their annual arrival in the river was celebrated ...

have been held annually at Frampton since 2015; an earlier elver eating competition had ended by 1990.

Hock Crib

Hock Crib is a

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island, Antarctica * Breakwater Islands, Nunavut, Canada * ...

on the banks of the

near Frampton on Severn. Built by

Augustus Berkeley, 4th Earl of Berkeley Lieutenant-Colonel Augustus Berkeley, 4th Earl of Berkeley, KT (18 February 1715 – 9 January 1755) was the son of Vice-Admiral James Berkeley, 3rd Earl of Berkeley, and the former Lady Louisa Lennox. Biography He was made an ensign in the 1 ...

, in 1739 to defend nearby farmlands from

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as Surface runoff, water flow or wind) that removes soil, Rock (geology), rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust#Crust, Earth's crust and then sediment transport, tran ...

and

flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant concern in agriculture, civi ...

, the breakwater's existence is acknowledged in numerous archives and records during the 18th century, including tidal defence plans in 1845 and redevelopment plans dating from 1877. The breakwater was an often-used point of reference for navigation of the river; however, it fell into disrepair and disappeared beneath the sandbanks. In December 2013, however, it emerged, and local historians were granted funds from the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society to photograph and study it.

References

External links

Village website

Parish council

Three Horseshoes Pub, Frampton on Severn

Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin

Victoria County History of GloucestershireBBC archive film of Frampton from 1978 Stroud Voices - mid 20th century oral history from Frampton residents
{{authority control Villages in Gloucestershire Populated places on the River Severn Stroud District Civil parishes in Gloucestershire