River Frome

The River Frome is a chalkstream in Dorset, southern England. It flows for 30 miles from its source in the Dorset Downs near Evershot. The river passes through villages like Cattistock and Maiden Newton before reaching Dorchester. At Wareham it meets the River Piddle and flows into Poole Harbour. The catchment covers 181 square miles, about one sixth of the county. The river has shaped Dorset’s history and economy. The Romans built a 20-kilometre aqueduct from the Frome to supply Dorchester with water. Later, the Danes raided up the river, leading to the building of Wareham’s town walls. In the 19th century the Frome carried Purbeck Ball Clay to wharves at Wareham and Ridge. Today the Frome is known for its wildlife, though salmon numbers have fallen sharply. Research at the Salmon & Trout Research Centre at East Stoke aims to reverse the decline. River level stations at Maiden Newton, Louds Mill, Stinsford and East Stoke help monitor the flow. The wide, shallow estuary at Poole Harbour marks the river’s end.