Following the historic footsteps of the valley’s farmers taking their produce to Dorchester’s market, the Valley to Market Trail shines a light on the rich food heritage of the Frome Valley.
As you make your way down the Frome Valley with its meadows, pastures and fields, look out for clues of the rich farming past which are highlighted below.
Particularly evident downstream of Frampton, the valley floor is occupied by water meadows. These low-lying fields are tracked with grassy ditches and bounded by larger channels, all ultimately connected to the river. An agricultural innovation of the seventeenth century, these channels and various water control structures enabled farmers to deliberately flood the fields. The spring-fed river water and its steady temperature warmed the soil to encourage abundant grass growth for feeding sheep in the lean months of March and April. Impressively large flocks of sheep were noted by contemporary writers feeding on this lush ‘early bite’.
Sheep fed on the rich grass of the water meadows were kept overnight on the arable fields upwards from the valley sides in ‘sheepfolds’, pens made from split hazel hurdles. Their dung fertilised the soil ahead of planting, leading to richer crops of wheat (for breadmaking) and barley (for beer).
Today these chalky soils are well-known for the quality of malting barley they produce, and many a ton would have travelled down the valley to the breweries in Dorchester.
On many of the steeper slopes, the land may not have been cultivated for hundreds of years. Where they’ve also remained unfertilised, the thin, droughty, chalk soils give rise to chalk grassland with a wide range of specialist species. Hog Cliff National Nature Reserve, just to the east of Maiden Newton, is a great example, and the light grazing by cattle and sheep maintains the wildflower abundance and hum of insects. It’s home to the rare butterflies Adonis Blue and Marsh Fritillary, to name a few.
The River Frome’s name derives from the Old British ‘ffraw’ meaning fine or brisk. It is a chalk stream fed by numerous springs up the valley where rainwater that has percolated through the highly permeable chalk rock is pushed out under pressure.
Due to the water clarity and mineral-richness, chalk steams are an important wildlife habitat. England is home to around 85% of the global total of chalk streams.
A flinty gravel bed provides spawning habitat for salmon and trout which feed on abundant invertebrate life, including mayflies, dragonflies and dainty damselflies. These have spent their larval stage in the water among the gravel or the river plants like water crowfoot, before emerging on the reeds and rushes that poke out of the water.
The valley’s clean water has also been exploited for the deliberate growing of watercress. Providing a peppery zing to salads or soups, this nutritious plant from the cabbage family is an early leafy crop, and has been grown in Dorset since the early 1800s.
Find out more about watercress and the rare chalk stream of the River Frome by visiting our River Droplet art installation at Frampton during September 2024.
Another traditional land use in the valley is dairy farming.
Milk, butter, cream and cheese are all products of the daily cycle of grazing, chewing the cud and milking. Doing well on the rich pastures, the milk is perfect for making West Country Farmhouse Cheddar. Only milk from Dorset, Devon, Somerset or Cornwall can be made into cheese under this protected name, which is matured for at least nine months to give its nutty, round flavour with a hint of sharpness.
On the route, house names like ‘Dairy Cottage’ refer to past use; you’ll also pass alongside modern dairy buildings of Littlewood Farm.
This aqueduct carried water from a source near Notton to the centre of Dorchester, where the 2nd Legion Army was camped and the Roman town
developed. 19km of sinuous earthworks carried the water in a gentle incline, appearing to climb the valley sides. By the time it arrived in Dorchester, the water was delivered 20m higher than the river in the valley bottom.
The Wednesday Charter Market in Dorchester dates back to 1305, when King Edward I granted a charter, and is a tradition that has continued for centuries.
Taking place every Wednesday throughout the year from 6.30am to 2pm, you’ll find it on Fairfield opposite the new Brewery Square development. The market features traders selling a variety of goods including fresh produce, quality meats, clothing, plants, and hot food. It’s just short walk from the town centre.
The Cornhill Market on South Street, in the heart of the town operates daily from Monday – Saturday. Here you’ll find a small marketplace for residents and tourists offering a variety of stalls including fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, and fresh produce, alongside a selection of quirky artisan stalls selling clothes, jewellery and book stalls which change daily.
Dorchester Artisan Market is new to Dorchester’s market scene, on the fourth Sunday of each month from April to November, 10am to 3pm. Featuring local artisans selling handmade crafts, artisanal food and street food, unique gifts, vintage clothing, and artwork, it’s a great place to find one-of-a-kind items and support local producers.
Tom Munro, Dorset National Landscape Manager explains why the Trail has been created:
“We chose the Frome Valley for this Food Trail as it’s a gentle route that all sorts of people can enjoy. You don’t need to be a keen cyclist or have a high-tech bike to enjoy this gentle, family-friendly journey through some lovely Dorset countryside.
Rather than focusing on places to buy food, we wanted to share the food story of the landscape as whole. The Frome Valley has kept people nourished and in employment for centuries, and still does today.”
The Valley to Market Trail has been funded by the Rural England Prosperity Fund, which is an addendum to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund awarded to Dorset Council by the UK government. Funding for the development and promotion (both trade and consumer) of the visitor economy has supported this trail. The ambition of the funding being to improve community links, infrastructure and support rural economies.
