Bulldozers mean old-world part of town becomes a memory
SOON an 'old world' part of Frome will be only a memory, for the area of Frome bounded by Milk Street, Selwood Road and Trinity Street, together with areas beyond Duke Street, are rapidly developing all the aspects of a 'battlefield'.
They are part of the Trinity redevelopment scheme. The whole area is being razed to the ground by demolition workers with the aid of bulldozers.
Huge piles of beams and other wood from the already bulldozed houses lie burning in heaps, while those short of firewood take away what is not wanted.
On Tuesday, the bulldozer was eating its way slowly up one side of the lower part of Selwood Road, and Smart's lodging houses – which have been a feature of the street for generations – were yielding under the hammer blows. Stone was being loaded in lorries to be taken away and huge timbers were being torn out.
Soon one side of the middle of Trinity Street will also be disappearing. One or two people are still hanging on before the final move out, notably the Martins, who are moving to Broadway.
The present demolition is a continuation of that begun in Milk Street many months ago and now the Milk Street School takes on a new dimension as a wide open space is opening in front of it, with the notable exception of the Griffin Inn, which is being preserved in one corner of the area.
Rosemary Lane has been obliterated; Duke Street Place is now barely distinguishable; The Mint is fast falling into decay, and will soon be laid low; and in Peter Street, Mr and Mrs O Davis alone remain occupants of a house which they are vacating tomorrow.
Soon this part of Frome will be only a memory.
Part of it is to be developed as a play area for the Milk Street School, and the remainder is to be redeveloped with houses, flats and new roads.
Somerset Standard, November 22, 1968
Do any readers have photos or recollections of the Trinity area before the bulldozers moved in? Please contact one of our reporters on 01761 417778.
Comments
by keith davies, southend-on-sea
Saturday, November 29 2008, 7:47PM
“on friday 28 nov 2008 i attended the funeral of my uncle, horace hares at holy trinity church, frome and there in the congregation were brian and peggy a daughter and son of mr & mrs o davis. the davis family lived next door to my grand parents, the hares. as a child i used to visit my grand parents during the summer holidays and play with the davis family children. we would go swimming over at vallis way or in the river frome, we would go to the church yard and "borrow" the marble chips from the graves to play jacks. these were such great and happy times where front doors were left open from the time you got up til the time you went to bed. i remember there was a bakers shop opposite the b & t warehouse, now yuppie flats, that sold bread during the week and pigs trotters on a saturday evening, a co-op store on the corner that took your real money but gave change in co-op money. milk was delivered by pony and cart in a milk churn. nothing was prepacked or vacuum packed or frozen. televisions were very rare and going to the pictures was a very special treat. my grandfather had a workshop in castle street that was like an aladdins cave to a youngster like myself, with all the tools and pots of glue and paint. we had to make our own pleasure and entertainment.
frome is a lovely town and has largely remained unspoilt. it is a shame that so much of the history is being torn down to make way for new developments but i suppose that is the price of progress.”