Frome is a town with a charming historic centre and has a wealth of architectural interest alongside a thriving contemporary and performing arts scene. Frome is also the original Somerset Market Town, a hugely important destination hosting a thriving market since the time the ink was still wet on The Domesday Book.

Equivalent of ‘of it/them’, ‘its’ A usage which is declining in everyday French, but which you may see particularly in literature, is to use en as the equivalent of “of it/them” to indicate either possession or a characteristic of something such as its shape or colour.

Wiktionary. forme(Noun) An arrangement of metal or wood type, from which a page may be printed.

“Form” is the shape or mode of something; “forme” relates to the procedure of assembling type in readiness for printing.

The name Frome comes from the Brythonic word *frāmā (Modern Welsh ffraw) meaning fair, fine or brisk and describing the flow of the river. A church built by St. Aldhelm in 685 is the earliest evidence of Saxon occupation of Frome.

Frome has been named as the Best Place to Live in the Southwest of England. The town is top of a list of ten locations in the region chosen by The Sunday Times in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide. Mayor of Frome, Anita Collier, said Frome has always had great “community spirit”.

The history of Frome begins in the 7th century AD. About 685 the Abbot of Malmesbury, St Aldhelm, founded a monastery there. Soon a settlement grew up by the monastery. In the 9th century Alfred the Great created a network of fortified settlements across his kingdom.

The word Frome is thought to come from the ancient Brthonic word “ffraw”.

Founding Frome The town dates from around the 7th century when the Abbot of Malmesbury, St Aldhelm, founded a monastery here.

29.44 miles

The perfect place for a classic beach day out with the kids, Weston-super-Mare beach is an all-round favourite Somerset beach with a large expanse of sand, ice cream vans and snack shacks, and the fantastic Grand Pier which stretches out into the sea and boasts amusements and entertainment.

If you are looking for somewhere with sand where you can go for a swim and get an ice cream, don’t go to Kilve Beach. Instead, what you will find is a treasure trove of wonderful geology, fascinating rock pools for beachcombing and a mass of fossils just waiting to be discovered.

15.89 miles

Below the cliffs of the harbour town of Watchet, low tide exposes a vast flat, rocky area, which then disappears once more as the tide comes in. Beachcombing is popular on the beach, as many interesting fossils get washed up by the tides. …

There are two harbours near to Bridport which are West Bay and Lyme Regis. West Bay has two beaches. East Beach consists of a very fine shingle ridged beach with sand at the water’s edge and extends as far as the eye can see along the Chesil Beach to Portland Bill.

The town of Portishead lies on the south side of the Severn estuary, and has a few ‘beaches’. The main seafront beach (Woodhill Bay – last photo) lies further north-east, and west of the lighthouse on Battery Point. Seafront parking is available here.

Portishead RNLI has urged people to avoid jumping in the water at the marina and off the pier, with swimmers likely to encounter difficulties in the hostile waters. People in the water could encounter ‘real danger’ due to ‘extremely strong’ currents which could carry swimmers into the path of oncoming ships.

Portishead lies a mere 10 miles to the west of Bristol, one of the largest cities in England. This makes Portishead a great place to live for those who work in the city but don’t want to pay city prices on rent or purchasing a property.

This is a pleasant beach to soak up the sun but swimming is not generally advised as with many of the beaches along the Bristol Channel coast. There can be strong currents as the tide moves and the sand towards the low water mark is decidedly muddy.

Clevedon. Nothing has changed in Clevedon, in North Somerset, as dogs are not allowed on the beach at any time – although that doesn’t include guide dogs.

Ladye Bay (above) is a sheltered cove of mostly small shingle with plenty of mud lower down the beach. The low cliffs are of sandstone and siltstone. Access is down a flight of steps from the coastal path and dogs are allowed at all times.

North Somerset

Facilities include toilets, a pub and plenty of benches along the front. The Sand Bay Tea Rooms (near the centre car park) has indoor and outdoor seating, and serves light meals, teas, sandwiches and cakes.

The beach is totally dog-friendly and there are four free car parks along its length. Country View Holiday Park is the ideal location to stay with your touring caravan or tent to explore the Sand Bay and Weston-super-Mare area. Riders are permitted on Sand Bay.

Access to the beach is easy as there is plenty of parking both next to and literally on the beach in designated areas. Toilets and drinking water are available and there are usually snacks in the form of an ice cream vans and a burger van.

Parking Charge: £4.50 all day (high season) £2 all day (low season), parking is free for National Trust members.

At low tide a wide exposure of soft sand and mud is exposed leading to the water’s edge. The beach is patrolled by wardens from May 1st to September 30th. Dogs are welcome on this beach. Remember that the tide rises faster near Brean Down and it is also dangerous to approach the water at low tide due to mud.

Brean Beach At low tide a wide exposure of soft sand and mud is exposed leading to the water’s edge, but note that it is very dangerous to approach the water at low tide. The beach is patrolled by wardens from May 1st to September 30th.

It was the end of an era in Brean at the weekend when a well-known local resident who has provided horse and pony rides on the village’s beach for 59 years hung up his saddle for the final time.

2.5 hours