Fretherne brings together an Anglican church that is open at weekends, a public footpath to Hock Cliff and several listed landmarks. The church, local remembrance and paths in the surrounding area offer different points of interest for your visit. St Mary the Virgin, the War Memorial and Luffinghams represent different historical themes; the paths around Fretherne also add a landscape perspective to a visit to the village.
The Church and Nearby Paths
St Mary the Virgin Fretherne is an Anglican church and a Grade II* listed building. It is open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. You can arrange tours through the Churchwarden. The opening times and the option of a tour give you practical guidance for planning a visit to the church. The church is also near the Severn Way.
A public footpath 50 metres west of Fretherne Church leads to Hock Cliff. Ammonites and the fossil locally known as “devils toenails” can be collected there. Another option in the area around Fretherne is the walking route from Saul Junction to Patch Bridge: it is 3.5 miles long and can be walked in either direction. After Cadbury’s factory, the route reaches Fretherne Bridge. The area therefore offers both a path to Hock Cliff and a longer route between Saul Junction and Patch Bridge that can be walked in either direction.
Listed Buildings and Remembrance
Fretherne War Memorial stands in front of the Church of St Mary and is a Grade II listed structure. It commemorates six local people who died in the First World War and also refers to 25 other local people who served in the First World War. The memorial thus brings together remembrance of the fallen and recognition of other residents who served in the war.
Luffinghams, a listed former hall house in Fretherne, represents another chapter in the history of local buildings. The Grade II listed building probably dates from the late 15th or early 16th century and has four bays of cruck-frame construction. In this building method, curved timbers form the supporting frame. The date is a probable attribution; the four bays and construction method describe the house’s architectural features.
The former Fretherne Court also shapes the village’s historical landmarks. A section of the stone enclosure wall of the former Court is Grade II listed and extends for more than 600 metres along Fretherne Lane. The Court itself was demolished. The former carriage entrance is also part of the site. The wall and entrance therefore point to different features of the former estate, without equating the present-day significance of the structures with that of the former building.
The Severn Landscape and Regional History
The remaining tidal areas of the Severn Estuary lie south of the village, in the area around Fretherne. They are designated a Special Area of Conservation and protected for their internationally important wildlife. This landscape adds a nature and conservation context to the listed buildings.
The history of the Stroudwater Canal also extends into the region around Fretherne. The canal was built between 1775 and 1779, from Framilode on the River Severn to Wallbridge in Stroud. The historical themes thus extend beyond individual buildings in the village: alongside the church, memorial, hall house and former enclosure wall, they include the development of the canal in the region.
Discover more destinations: Stonehouse, Upper Slaughter, Winchcombe, Birdlip, Winchcombe, Berkeley, Tetbury, Redmarley D'abitot.
For the wider travel overview: Gloucestershire.
