Rode, Somerset
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- See also: Røde Microphones
Rode (formerly Road) is a village in Somerset, located five miles south-west of Trowbridge and 5 miles north east of Frome, grid reference ST805540.
Facilities in the village include a village school, shop, post office and a cricket club which was founded circa 1895.
There used to be several mills in the village, one of which has now been converted into the The Mill pub. Other pubs in Rode are The Cross Keys[2] and The Bell.[3] Until the 1960s there was a brewery, the site of which is now a housing development, as is the site of the Tropical Bird Gardens, which closed in 2000.
In a recent football match against Wellow, another Somerset village, the part-time Rode team made up of locals beat the Wellow team by an impressive 7-1.
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[edit] Church
The church of St Lawrence dates from the late 14th and early 15th century. It was restored in 1874 by C E Davis and is a grade I listed building.[4]
[edit] History
Formerly a market town, Rode rose to prominence as a trading centre on the ceremonial borders of Wiltshire and Somerset. The first mention of Rode appears to be in the Domesday Book: the old village was positioned around St Lawrence church along the main thoroughfare (Known as Rode Major). However, many parts of the old village have now disappeared and the ruins (which include an old pub called the Angel) can only be seen from great height .
Rode's prominence was greatest during the 16th and 17th centuries, when the wool milling industry boomed in the South West; a succeess due largely to the meandering nature of its rivers, which afforded the space for the construction of mill ponds and streams, and because of its close proximity to the international port of Bristol. At one point Rode was home to four or five wool mills which created great wealth for the village and funded the construction of many large houses in the village, such as Rode Manor, Langham House, Milfield House and Southfield House. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries the village centre thrived enough for Rode to be known as a town (according to local sources). The Kelly's directory in the 19th century suggests that at one point there were more than 10 shops along the high street, all of which have now been converted to houses.
Possibly the greatest single moment in the milling industry of Rode was during the 18th century when a consortium of Rode mills won a competition to make Queen Charlotte's dress. In winning the prize it is said that the village invented the dye Royal Blue.
By the middle to the end of the 19th century the wool mills of Rode were struggling, like many in the South West region, as a result of both the industrial revolution and the invention of steam power, which caused mills to move to northern industrial centres.
Rode was the scene of one of the most infamous murders of the 19th century when Constance Kent murdered her 4 year old half brother at Road Hill House.
Today Rode is largely a dormitory village, offering good access to Bristol, Bath, Trowbridge and Frome. However its history and ruins remain and it has managed to preserve a historic centre in the new village of Rode Minor..
[edit] References
- ^ Mendip Parish Population Estimates 2002. Somerset County Council. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
- ^ Cross Keys. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
- ^ The Bell Inn. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
- ^ Church of St. Lawrence. Images of England. Retrieved on 2006-11-25.
