Freshford Somerset in the 21st Century

The village is reduced to one public house The Inn, a fine ancient building serving food and real ale, wine and  tea and coffee both in the morning and throughout the day. The Inn (which is not an Inn) is located close to the river Frome and is very popular but not so much with the natives who whilst berating the loss of village services are not regular visitors to their last public house. The Inn has been recently awarded a prize for their food: 'Catherine Phillips from Heart of Wessex Partnership had brought a group of railway supporters out by train on June 4^th to present the Inn at Freshford with an award as winners of the “Foody Trail”, which involved 11 food pubs between Bristol and Weymouth ' Freshford Parush Council Minutes May 08

The Inn seen from the river Frome

The last remaining shop was actually the post office and with changes to the business that post offices offer; initiated by the government, has like many other rural post offices closed as being unviable. The shop/post office was too small and although located centrally had no parking for passing trade, but was situated opposite the school and should have been convenient for parents. The post office and village shop also provided some banking services.

A temporary post office is now open for part of the week. A location for a replacement village shop has been decided. The new village shop will be built in Galleries field which adjoins Freshford Memorial Hall. The land is being provided by Gitte Dawson at no cost to the village. Comment on the application and supporting evidence for the planning application which has now been approved may be read here: Freshford Village shop The village is served by a bus service that is although mainly empty for most of the day is going to attract more passengers as the price of fuel rises. Unfortunately, the bus does NOT go to the nearest town -Bradford On Avon. Update: a service to Bradford on Avon has been introduced (1st July 08) for a 6 month trial period. It operates only on Tuesdays. The bus is a 775. It only makes one return journey, with a delay of 90 minutes.  The railway has an infrequent service especially at weekends but like the bus service this could and should improve.  The nearest garage that sells fuel needs a round trip of 6 miles. (Esso Fuel Station location: A36)

Freshford is a really  nice place for commuters  who travel to Bath and Bristol and further afield to work. As such it should, surely, be preserved as a typical English village rather than be subject to further unnecessary development.  There is a doctors surgery that is only available:  Mon-Fri 8:30 to 12:30 and Thursday afternoon. The village hall, which is very popular, being fully booked,  is deteriorating and probably has asbestos in its construction, it is poorly insulated and poorly located. However the location of the new village shop adjoining the hall will, perhaps focus attention on the redevelopment of the hall.

The charm of the village lies in its location close to both the river Frome and its meeting with the Avon, and its largely vernacular construction of local stone settling in to the undulating hilly countryside. Every lane in Freshford could quite easily be called a hill. The views from many houses are quite simply breathtaking.