River Frome, Somerset

River Frome
Bridge at Tellisford over the River Frome
Path of the River Frome [1]
Location
Country	England
County	Somerset
City	Frome
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Witham Friary, Mendip, Somerset, England
• coordinates	51°10′05″N 2°22′01″W / 51.16806°N 2.36694°W / 51.16806; -2.36694
Mouth	River Avon
• location	Freshford, Bath and North East Somerset, Somerset, England
• coordinates	51°20′17″N 2°17′50″W / 51.33806°N 2.29722°W / 51.33806; -2.29722
Length	43 kilometres (27 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Mells River, Henhambridge Brook
• right	Maiden Bradley Brook, Rodden Brook

The River Frome is a river in Somerset, England. It rises near Bungalow Farm on Cannwood Lane,^[1] south-west of Witham Friary, flows north through Blatchbridge to the town of Frome, and continues in a generally northerly direction passing between the eastern edge of the Mendip Hills and Trowbridge before joining the Bristol Avon at Freshford, below Bradford on Avon.

The river is approximately 43 kilometres (27 mi) in length, comprising 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from its source to the confluence with Maiden Bradley Brook,^[2] 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) through Frome to the confluence with the Mells River,^[3] and 18 kilometres (11 mi) to the Avon.^[4] Below Frome the river passes close to Beckington, Rode, Tellisford, Farleigh Hungerford and Iford Manor.

The name Frome comes from the Old British word ffraw meaning fair, fine or brisk and describing the flow of the river.^[5] The name was first recorded in 701 when Pope Sergius gave permission to Bishop Aldhelm to found a monastery "close to the river which is called From" (Latin: "juxta fluvium qui vocatur From").^[6]