CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT - Stroud District Council

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CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT - Conservation Area No7: FRAMPTON ON SEVERN
The Gloucester- Bristol road, now the A38, follows the line of a Roman road, and it is likely that the Perry Way as we
know it dates from the same time. It has carried its name since at least 1302.
Perry Way was turnpiked from 1726 to 1874 by the same trust as the Gloucester- Bristol road. Shortly after it was
turnpiked, Richard Clutterbuck, the then Lord of the Manor, instigated works to salvage dry land from the swampy
Green, by the introduction of a series of drains and ponds. The road running along the Green was built at the same
time, creating a straight link between the Street and the Perry Way .
The draining of the Green meant a marked decrease in waterborne diseases and the atmosphere at this end of the
village became much healthier. As a result, the 18th century onwards saw an increase in development, most of it high
status.
Uses
Although in private ownership, The Green has been in village use for many centuries. In 1254 the Crown granted the
Lord of the Manor, Hugh de Clifford, the right to hold a weekly market on Saturdays and a three-day fair beginning
on 23 June. In 1311, this was replaced by a market on Thursday, and a five-day fair beginning on 14 August. Both
these seem to have fizzled out by the 17th century, however a relic of the fair may have survived as a village feast,
held on the Green on the Monday following the first Sunday after 15 August.
Later, in the 17th century, there was a February fair, probably held in honour of Frampton’s adopted patron saint, St
Blaise. This became known as the Frying Pan Fair and continued into the mid 19th century.
Cricket has been played on the Green since about 1800, and the pitch outside the Bell, with its traditional pavilion,
adds greatly to the impression that Frampton is very much a thriving community.
Stroud District Council