The Artisan Quarter
Catherine Hill
Steep, cobbled, and repeatedly named among Britain's prettiest streets. Climb for antiques, pottery at Ground, books at Sherlock & Pages, vintage fashion, and plenty of excuses to pause for coffee halfway up.
Somerset, England
Frome It's a wonderful place
Independent shops on cobbled hills, arts in old chapels, and a market that takes over the town — Frome is a creative market town with countryside at its edge.
A town that still feels like a town.
Nestled in east Somerset, Frome grew on wool, cloth and metalwork — and kept over 350 listed buildings to prove it. Today that heritage holds a lively mix of makers, cafés, galleries and one of the South West's best independent markets.
See & do
Places worth lingering.
Cobbled streets, restored chapels, and galleries — Frome's best moments reward a slow wander.
Arts & culture
Black Swan Arts & Rook Lane
Black Swan Arts brings contemporary exhibitions, workshops and studio makers into the town centre. Nearby, Rook Lane Chapel — a restored Grade I listed chapel — hosts performances, shows and community events in a space that mixes Georgian bones with a modern annex.
River & walks
Follow the River Frome out toward meadows, or loop into the Mendip foothills for open skies and quiet lanes.
Heritage streets
Stony Street, Palmer Street and Cheap Street keep the medieval pattern — honeyed stone, jettied fronts, and surprise courtyards.
Day trips nearby
Bath, Wells, Longleat and the Wiltshire Downs sit close enough for an easy half-day without leaving the region.
Local & independent
Shops with a point of view.
Frome's high street still belongs to independents — fashion, books, ceramics, food and the odd hardware store that still knows your name.
- Sherlock & Pages A little bookshop with a big heart on Catherine Hill
- Ground Hand-thrown stoneware from potter Fi Underhill
- Rye Bakery Sourdough and slow food in a former chapel on Whittox Lane
- Poot Emporium Creative collective gifts in the Artisan Quarter
- Assembly Menswear with a Frome address and careful taste
- Moo and Two Tea, coffee and a pause halfway up the hill
- Deadly is the Female Fifties fashion and vintage finds
- Frome Hardware Proper tools and the joy of a real ironmonger
St Catherine's — Catherine Hill, Palmer Street, Paul Street and Stony Street — is Frome's artisan heart. Wander without a list; the best finds are usually the ones you didn't plan.
First Sunday energy
The Frome Independent
Once a month the high street is reclaimed by makers, growers, vintage traders and street food. Live music, workshops and over 80,000 visitors a year — free to wander, hard to leave empty-handed.
Frome Independent detailsPlan your day
Come for the hill. Stay for the coffee.
Frome sits on the Bath–Weymouth line and the A361, with parking around the town centre and plenty to fill a long weekend.
- Arrive & climb Start on Cheap Street or Catherine Hill — let the cobbles set the pace.
- Eat & browse Bakeries, pubs and independents fill the lanes between galleries and antiques.
- Time a Sunday Hit the Frome Independent if you can — or come midweek for quieter streets and open studios.