River Frome, Bristol

Frome
Froom
The river at Snuff Mills
Map of the River Frome and tributaries in Bristol and South Gloucestershire
EtymologyBritish Celtic, meaning 'fair, fine, brisk’
Nickname(s)Danny
Location
CountryEngland
RegionWest Country
DistrictSouth Gloucestershire, Bristol
CityBristol
Physical characteristics
SourceDodington Park
 • locationChipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, England
 • coordinates51°30′39″N 2°20′39″W / 51.510726°N 2.344268°W / 51.510726; -2.344268
 • elevation515 ft (157 m)
MouthFloating Harbour, Bristol
 • location
Bristol, England
 • coordinates
51°26′56″N 2°35′54″W / 51.4489°N 2.5983°W / 51.4489; -2.5983
 • elevation
33 ft (10 m)
Length20 mi (32 km), south west
Discharge 
 • average60 cu ft/s (1.7 m3/s)
 • minimum2.3 cu ft/s (0.065 m3/s)
 • maximum2,473 cu ft/s (70.0 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftNibley brook, Folly brook,
Fishponds brook (1, Oldbury Court)
Fishponds brook (2. Black Rocks),
Coombe brook
 • rightLittle Sodbury brook,
Horton brook, Ladden brook,
Bradley brook, Ham brook (aka Stoke brook),
Frenchay brook,
Horfield brook (aka Cutlersmills brook)
River systemBristol Avon

The Frome /ˈfrm/, historically the Froom, is a river that rises in Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire and flows southwesterly through Bristol to join the river Avon. It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) long, and the mean flow at Frenchay is 60 cubic feet per second (1.7 m3/s). The name Frome is shared with several other rivers in South West England and means 'fair, fine, brisk'. The river is known locally in east Bristol as the Danny.

As with many urban rivers, the Frome has suffered from pollution, but several stretches run through parks and reserves that sustain a range of wildlife. The river's power was harnessed by many watermills, and the river mouth area was developed as shipyards by the eighteenth century. As the city of Bristol developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, flooding became a major problem, remedied by the construction of storm drains and diversions.