Where's Tess?
This week's Saturday Timewatch shows the River Frome in flood at Wool. It is an unusual landscape in that it will barely have changed for centuries. Dating from the 17th century, Woolbridge Manor is famed for being the location of Tess and Clare's honeymoon in Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the d'Urbervilles".
The name "Wool" (now a large village) seems to have nothing to do with sheep. It derives from the Saxon 'wyllon' meaning 'spring' or 'well'. Other names of the settlement through history have been 'Wille' and 'Well(e)'. Wool Old Bridge, across the River Frome, dates from the 16th century. It is still used for pedestrian, cycle and horse traffic. A major collapse in January 2018 led to a temporary footbridge being erected nearby whilst significant engineering work took place. That has now been completed very sympathetically and I doubt the work will be noticeable, even at close quarters, in a couple of years time.
The river itself is in full flood after persistent and heavy rains. In drier times, most of this view is made up of fields.
Where's Tess?
This week's Saturday Timewatch shows the River Frome in flood at Wool. It is an unusual landscape in that it will barely have changed for centuries. Dating from the 17th century, Woolbridge Manor is famed for being the location of Tess and Clare's honeymoon in Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the d'Urbervilles".
The name "Wool" (now a large village) seems to have nothing to do with sheep. It derives from the Saxon 'wyllon' meaning 'spring' or 'well'. Other names of the settlement through history have been 'Wille' and 'Well(e)'. Wool Old Bridge, across the River Frome, dates from the 16th century. It is still used for pedestrian, cycle and horse traffic. A major collapse in January 2018 led to a temporary footbridge being erected nearby whilst significant engineering work took place. That has now been completed very sympathetically and I doubt the work will be noticeable, even at close quarters, in a couple of years time.
The river itself is in full flood after persistent and heavy rains. In drier times, most of this view is made up of fields.