The River Frome, once also known as the Stroudwater, is a small river in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....

, England. It is to be distinguished from another River Frome in Gloucestershire, the Bristol Frome

River Frome, Bristol

The River Frome is a river, approximately long, which rises in Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire, and flows in a south westerly direction through Bristol, joining the former course of the river Avon in Bristol's Floating Harbour. The mean flow at Frenchay is The name Frome is shared with...

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The Stroud Frome rises in a culmination of springs at Nettleton, about a mile south east of Birdlip

Birdlip

Birdlip is a village in Cotswold District of Gloucestershire in England, in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about south of Cheltenham and south east of Gloucester.-History:...

 and in springs at Climperwell Farm (SW of Brimsfield). The two branches join together in Miserden Park just south of Caudle Green. The river is recognised as the "Frome" at Caudle Green (north of Miserden

Miserden

Miserden is a village and civil parish in Stroud District, Gloucestershire, England, 4 miles north east of Stroud. The parish includes Whiteway Colony and the hamlets of Sudgrove and The Camp...

). The Frome continues to meander its way south to Sapperton

Sapperton, Gloucestershire

Sapperton is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire in England, about west of Cirencester. It is most famous for Sapperton canal tunnel and its connection with the Cotswold Arts and Crafts Movement in the early 20th century. It has a population of 424.The parish...

, then west towards Stroud

Stroud

Stroud a town and civil parish in the county of Gloucestershire, England.Stroud may also refer to:*Stroud, New South Wales, Australia*Stroud, Ontario, Canada*Stroud , Gloucestershire, UK*Stroud...

. The river flows through Stroud continuing north west through Ebley and Stonehouse where it goes under the M5, then on to Saul where it enters the River Severn

River Severn

The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...

 at Upper Framilode.

At Caudle Green the eastern side of the valley rises to the North sea

North Sea

In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

/Atlantic watershed, approximately one mile to the east. The Frome basin shares a length of this watershed feeding into the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 to the east (via the River Churn

River Churn

The River Churn is one of the Cotswold rivers that feeds into the River Thames catchment. It arises at Seven Springs near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England and flows south across the Cotswold dip slope, passing through Cirencester and joining the River Thames near Cricklade in Wiltshire...

) and the Severn to the West (via the Frome)
From Sapperton the River Frome runs adjacent to the Stroudwater Canal which is now disused, although undergoing repairs. The Stroudwater Canal, fed by the Frome, was an important and essential part of Stroud's growth as a town. The canal was a thriving thoroughfare for trade, putting Stroud on the map, during the industrial revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

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At Stonehouse the River was part of a novel, ill-fated, scheme by John Kemmett, around 1760, to create a canal without locks. It was the first known attempt at containerisation.

The river is approximately 18 miles (29 km) long.

The valley from Chalford

Chalford

Chalford is a village in the Frome Valley of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It is about 8 km upstream of Stroud. It gives its name to Chalford parish, which covers the villages of Chalford, Chalford Hill, France Lynch, Bussage and Brownshill, spread over 2 mi² of the...

 to Stroud, known as the Golden Valley is one of the Stroud Five Valleys

Five Valleys

The Five Valleys are a group of valleys in Gloucestershire, England, which converge on the town of Stroud at the western edge of the Cotswolds. The valleys are as follows:* The Frome valley * The Nailsworth Valley...

; it carries the railway line and canal to the Sapperton Tunnels under the Cotswolds

Cotswolds

The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...

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