Freshford

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Freshford

Coordinates: 51.3418° N 2.3093° W
OS grid reference	ST785603
Unitary authority	Bath and North East Somerset
Ceremonial county	Somerset
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Bath
Postcode district	BA2
Police	Avon and Somerset
Fire	Avon
Ambulance	Great Western
UK Parliament	Wansdyke to be North East Somerset from next general election.
European Parliament	South West England
List of places: UK • England • Somerset

There is also a village Freshford in Ireland.

Freshford is a village in the Avon valley six miles south-east of Bath, in the county of Somerset, England. The short stretch of valley between Bathampton and Bradford-upon-Avon is particularly distinctive, because of the wooded slopes and fertile valley floors, which make it feel like "ideal English countryside". The bridge over the river Frome, down by the Inn is particularly attractive. Freshford is in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), within the Green Belt and within an area of High Ecological Value. Freshford's village centre has a conservation area. The village of Freshford includes the four smaller hamlets of Sharpstone,Park Corner, Woodside and Staples Hill which are separated from the village centre by a few hundred metres of open fields.

The local pub is called The Inn, and sits beside the River Frome, a tributary of the River Avon. The Inn, which has never been an inn!^[1] is noted for its regular offering of music. Jazz every Thursday and Sunday night. Every third Monday musicians, professional and amateur alike, are welcome to come and play.

The village hall plays host to many events, including painting classes, aerobics, badminton, drama productions, and much more. The village hall is situated part way between the centre of Freshford, and Park Corner. Unfortunately, the village hall is in a poor condition and fails to meet the present requirements for energy conservation and may contain asbestos in its construction.

The Post office, which is also the only remaining village shop, is close to Freshford Primary School, which has been recently modernised. St. Peter's Church, on the north side of the village, has a very old Christian marking on the back of the church and parts of the church date back to the fifteenth century. The church is a Grade II* listed building.^[2]

The village is notable in that the houses have names instead of numbers, as was noted in the Ealing comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt, which was filmed locally and where Freshford village served as the set for the idyllic English village under threat. The railway scenes were filmed on the Camerton branch line, which began nearby, and the famous cricket scene was filmed near the viaduct hotel at Limpley Stoke, where cricket is still played today. Part of the justification for approving the Freshford Mill development has been that strategically, the development will block any resurrection of the earlier idea to build a dual carriageway through the Frome and Avon valley to accommodate traffic from the A36 and provide a route that avoids Bath city centre. The case against the development of Freshford Mill to provide over twenty new dwellings is republished on www.freshfordmill.co.uk

Freshford is also notable in having retained its railway station, when the local route was rationalised and most other smaller stations closed; this was due to narrow roads nearby meaning the replacement bus service to local communities could not pass through the village (though they now do). This frequent train service, and the promise of country life, has led to it being a popular place to live for professionals working in Bath and Bristol, which has enhanced the prosperity of the area. However, "excessive" use of the station has led to the occasional suggestion by railway officials, that the stop should be dropped, since its use leads to overcrowding at peak times further up the line at Bath. This suggestion is considered somewhat odd by many, however!.

A significant number of local residents work from home using the Internet. The village has also continued a long standing tradition of attracting retired people of status.

The popular Kennet and Avon Canal is visible across the Avon valley from the village, but the nearest crossings of the (river) Avon are at Avoncliff and Limpley Stoke, so this brings little prosperity to the village, whilst at Avoncliff there is not only a public house but also a tea-room. Freshford has responded by providing coffee and tea at the Inn from 10:30am