IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
High Street, FROME, BA11 6NZ

High Street heads off in front, on its way to Beckington about 2 miles off. This is pretty well the heart of the village, the Cross Keys is a few yards down to the left, Lower Street joins on the right a little further on. The brewery of H.H.& S. Fussell was behind the buildings immediately in front on the left, the main entrance, a few yards out of the frame to the left is now built over. It was taken over by Bass Mitchells & Butlers in the early 1960's.

As was the case in many villages and towns, the established church faced a rising tide of discontent. The Methodist movement grew rapidly at this time and founded many new churches - including this Wesleyan Chapel in the High Street in 1809, now a private residence.

This elaborate piece of masonry is on the entrance to the old brewery and presumably is connected with it.

Entering Rode from the south west and looking along High Street a prominent feature is the red brick maltings of the former brewery of H.H.& S. Fussells, a major industry in the village following the collapse of the wool trade.

The school is the Rode Methodist VC First School, and appears to have been founded at the end of the nineteenth century. Note the separate entrances for boys and girls.

This venerable piece of ironmongery was a pump that used to operate in the old Fussell's Brewery behind it. The pump was made in the 1920s and sat over a 200 foot well that supplied the operations. Brewing ceased here in 1962.

Rode has a long history in milling, helped by the River Frome. However, brewing was a growing business and the local Fussell family made a number of important contributions. Henry acquired the Cross Keys Inn in 1857 - which included a brewhouse. Sidney Fussell took over sole ownership and, with his sons, spearheaded the development of this new brewery in the early 1900s. Percy, Sidney's eldest son enlarged the operation in 1935, which brought a second brick chimney to the skyline. Fussells sold out to Bass, Mitchell and Butler in 1962; the brewing ceased but the premises were held merely as a depot until 1992. Then the site shut completely and was largely demolished to make way for housing, but some of the original brickwork was retained and is also residential now.

A common sign in Christian heraldry, referring to St Peter, to whom Jesus said: 'I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven'. The papal arms show crossed keys, and they occur again in the arms of various bishops.

County Boundary Marker set in the road on Lower Street against the western corner of The Corner House, 21 High Street, a stone building at the junction of Lower Street and High Street. Until 1937 this was on the boundary of Rode, Somerset and Southwick, Wiltshire but is now entirely in Rode parish. Milestone Society National ID: SO_RODE02cb