Frome Voices

Pommy Harmar

A three part audio adventure celebrating the Bristol Frome Soundscape and poem by Pete Weinstock Audio feature with local voices, history, community, ecology, discovery and wildlife A self-guided walk from Frenchay Bridge to Cascade Steps

Episodes

  1. May 26

    Frome Voices: stories from a shared waterway

    Frome Voices is a three-part audio soundscape celebrating Bristol’s second river, the river Frome. This episode brings together the many communities who know and love the river including: Rich Scantlebury, Bird Watcher and Photographer Geoff Wallace, Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society (BIAS) John Rosewell, Local Historian. Jean Davidge, Coordinator Snuff Mills Community Garden Peter Coleman-Smith, Bristol Avon Rivers Trust Trustee, angler and botanist Plus some of the people who just love to walk along the river. Frome Voices Series The other two elements in the series are Frome Voices: a river soundscape and poemFrome Voices: a self-guided walk from Frenchay Bridge to the Arnolfini It is part of Bristol City Council’s Cultural Conversations Grant Thanks to Bristol City Council and Friends of Eastville Park for supporting the project. The Bristol Frome The river rises just north of the M4 and runs under the A46 to appear in the Dodington Park Estate in South Gloucestershire. It then flows through beautiful countryside, towns and villages including the medieval town of Chipping Sodbury. It passes beneath the 11-arched spectacular Winterbourne Viaduct, carrying the London to South Wales main line and on past Frampton Cotterell to starts its urban section. It then winds under the M4 and the ring road, past the landscaped Oldbury Court estate, originally an old hunting lodge within the Royal Forest of Kingswood and on to Snuff Mills. Snuff Mills will reward you with its beautiful garden created and tended by volunteers before the river reaches Eastville Park Lake. It then begins its final section some of which is now culverted underground until finally it emerges in central Bristol at Cascade Steps to flow out into the harbour at the Arnolfini. Historically, the river supported mills, tanneries, and other small industries, while much of its urban route has been modified for flood management. The Frome Valley Walkway takes you all the way along its 20 miles, joining together two long distance trails, the Cotswold Way and the River Avon Trail. Links Bristol Avon rivers Trust (BART) - www.bristolavonriverstrust.org Bristol City Council Cultural Conversations funding Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society - www.b-i-a-s.org.uk Friends of Eastville Park - www.facebook.com/groups/107934965930710 Frome Valley Walkway leaflet - www.fromewalkway.org.uk/frome_valley_booklet.pdf Snuff Mills Action Group - www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064666570279 The Big Blue Map of Bristol - www.bristol.gov.uk/files/documents/791-big-blue-map-of-bristol/file Thanks also to Andy Gee, Friends of Eastville Park Mo Lewis, Friends of Eastville Park Credits Production: Series created, hosted and produced by Pommy Harmar Music: Wildflowers by Scott Buckley Music promoted by Chosic Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

    42 min

  2. May 25

    Frome Voices: a river soundscape and poem

    Frome Voices is a three-part audio soundscape celebrating Bristol’s second river, the river Frome. This episode features a new poem by Pete Weinstock entitled The Bristol Frome, once ‘brisk and fair’. Frome Voices Series The other two elements in the series are Frome Voices: shared stories from a living waterwayFrome Voices: a self-guided walk from Frenchay Bridge to the Arnolfini It is part of Bristol City Council’s Cultural Conversations Grant Thanks to Bristol City Council and Friends of Eastville Park for supporting the project. The Bristol Frome The river rises just north of the M4 and runs under the A46 to appear in the Dodington Park Estate in South Gloucestershire. It then flows through beautiful countryside, towns and villages including the medieval town of Chipping Sodbury. It passes beneath the 11-arched spectacular Winterbourne Viaduct, carrying the London to South Wales main line and on past Frampton Cotterell to starts its urban section. It then winds under the M4 and the ring road, past the landscaped Oldbury Court estate, originally an old hunting lodge within the Royal Forest of Kingswood and on to Snuff Mills. Snuff Mills will reward you with its beautiful garden created and tended by volunteers before the river reaches Eastville Park Lake. It then begins its final section some of which is now culverted underground until finally it emerges in central Bristol at Cascade Steps to flow out into the harbour at the Arnolfini. Historically, the river supported mills, tanneries, and other small industries, while much of its urban route has been modified for flood management. The Frome Valley Walkway takes you all the way along its 20 miles, joining together two long distance trails, the Cotswold Way and the River Avon Trail. Links Bristol Avon rivers Trust (BART) - www.bristolavonriverstrust.org Bristol City Council Cultural Conversations funding - https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/museums-parks-sports-and-culture/arts-culture-and-events/arts-and-culture-funding Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society - www.b-i-a-s.org.uk Friends of Eastville Park - www.facebook.com/groups/107934965930710 Frome Valley Walkway leaflet - www.fromewalkway.org.uk/frome_valley_booklet.pdf Snuff Mills Action Group - www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064666570279 The Big Blue Map of Bristol - www.bristol.gov.uk/files/documents/791-big-blue-map-of-bristol/file Thanks also to Andy Gee, Friends of Eastville Park Mo Lewis, Friends of Eastville Park Credits Poet: Pete Weinstock Sound Design: Pommy Harmar Series created, hosted and produced by Pommy Harmar

    7 min

  3. May 24

    Frome Voices: a self-guided walk

    Frome Voices is a three-part audio soundscape celebrating Bristol’s second river, the river Frome. This is a self-guided walk leading you from Frenchay Bridge to the Arnolfini. The whole walk is about 6 miles long. Directions and information are given at each stop. You can either walk all of it or join at the following places. Timings for Stops 0:00 Introduction 1:24 Frenchay Bridge 3:20 Halfpenny Bridge 4:42 Snuff Mills 5:50 Quarry Workers' Cottages 6:36 Wickham Bridge 7:26 Eastville Park Lake 10:46 The Old Fox Inn 11:40 Riverside Park 13:42 Castle Park 14:29 Baldwin Street 15:25 St Augustine's Parade 16: 17 Cascade Steps Sources for Self Guided Walk Information About Bristol https://www.about-bristol.co.uk/mar-02.php Bristol Avon Rivers Trust - Secret River trail https://bristolavonriverstrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Secret-River-Trail-Map.pdf Bristol City Docks https://bristolcitydocks.co.uk/bristol-frome-river/ Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society (BIAS) - The mIlls of the Bristol Frome https://b-i-a-s.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/BIAS_Journal2_MILLS_OF_BRISTOL_FROME.pdf Gathering Voices - The lost river ‘fair and brisk’ https://www.gatheringvoices.org.uk/post/the-lost-river-fair-and-briskThe Frome Gateway Story https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b5fc190251be438fabf992da209741f7 The Frome Valley Walkway http://www.fromewalkway.org.uk/frome_valley_booklet.pdf The Old Fox Inn https://bristolslostpubs.com/easton/old-fox-2/ Snuff Mills Action Group https://hmajid136.wixsite.com/snuffmills/events Frome Voices Series The other two elements in the series are Frome Voices: shared stories from a living waterwayFrome Voices: a river soundscape and poem This project is part of Bristol City Council’s Cultural Conversations Grant Thanks to Bristol City Council and Friends of Eastville Park for supporting the project. The Bristol Frome The river rises just north of the M4 and runs under the A46 to appear in the Dodington Park Estate in South Gloucestershire. It then flows through beautiful countryside, towns and villages including the medieval town of Chipping Sodbury. It passes beneath the 11-arched spectacular Winterbourne Viaduct, carrying the London to South Wales main line and on past Frampton Cotterell to starts its urban section. It then winds under the M4 and the ring road, past the landscaped Oldbury Court estate, originally an old hunting lodge within the Royal Forest of Kingswood and on to Snuff Mills. Snuff Mills will reward you with its beautiful garden created and tended by volunteers before the river reaches Eastville Park Lake. It then begins its final section some of which is now culverted underground until finally it emerges in central Bristol at Cascade Steps to flow out into the harbour at the Arnolfini. Historically, the river supported mills, tanneries, and other small industries, while much of its urban route has been modified for flood management. The Frome Valley Walkway takes you all the way along its 20 miles, joining together two long distance trails, the Cotswold Way and the River Avon Trail. Links Bristol Avon rivers Trust (BART) - www.bristolavonriverstrust.org Bristol City Council Cultural Conversations funding - https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/museums-parks-sports-and-culture/arts-culture-and-events/arts-and-culture-funding Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society - www.b-i-a-s.org.uk Friends of Eastville Park - www.facebook.com/groups/107934965930710 Frome Valley Walkway leaflet - www.fromewalkway.org.uk/frome_valley_booklet.pdf Snuff Mills Action Group - www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064666570279 The Big Blue Map of Bristol - www.bristol.gov.uk/files/documents/791-big-blue-map-of-bristol/file Thanks also to Andy Gee, Friends of Eastville Park Mo Lewis, Friends of Eastville Park Rich Scantlebury, Bird Watcher and Photographer Credits Series created, hosted and produced by Pommy Harmar

    19 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

A three part audio adventure celebrating the Bristol Frome Soundscape and poem by Pete Weinstock Audio feature with local voices, history, community, ecology, discovery and wildlife A self-guided walk from Frenchay Bridge to Cascade Steps

Information

  • Creator
    Pommy Harmar
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Pommy Harmar
  • Show Website
    Frome Voices