Editing Frome (section)

=== Roman ===
There is some limited evidence of Roman settlement in the area. The remains of a [[Roman villa|villa]] were found in the village of [[Whatley, Mendip|Whatley]], {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} to the west of Frome.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 January 2010 |title=Whatley Combe Villa |url=http://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/28414 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003122611/http://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/28414 |archive-date=3 October 2016 |access-date=8 July 2010 |publisher=Somerset Historic Environment Record |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Another villa is suggested at Selwood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pastscape |url=https://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=202897 |access-date=4 February 2019 |publisher=[[Historic England]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209232306/https://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=202897 |archive-date=9 February 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Southill House, Cranmore|Southill House]] in [[Cranmore, Somerset|Cranmore]], 10 miles southwest, has evidence of a villa with a [[hypocaust]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roman building, West Cranmore |url=https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/12044 |access-date=2019-03-17 |website=Somerset HER |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715191215/https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/12044 |archive-date=15 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Two villas have been surveyed in the Hemington area, {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} to the north-west of Frome, alongside other sites, ditches and boundaries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oswin |first=John |year=2005 |title=Lower Row Roman Villa |url=https://www.bacas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Lower_Row_Report.pdf |access-date=2019-05-03 |website=Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society |page=8 |type=PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503093157/https://www.bacas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Lower_Row_Report.pdf |archive-date=3 May 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Iron Age forts in the area (recorded above) were re-occupied by the Roman military: Kingsdown and Tedbury.

A Roman road<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roman road from Mendip to Old Sarum |url=https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/25357 |access-date=2019-03-17 |website=Somerset HER |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715191214/https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/25357 |archive-date=15 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> ran from the west of the [[Mendip Hills|Mendips]] passing south of Frome en route to [[Old Sarum]] (Salisbury) and [[Clausentum]] ([[Southampton]]) or to Moriconium ([[Hamworthy]] near [[Poole]]), probably for the export of lead and silver from mines in the Mendips.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chris Popham – The Lead Mines at Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills |url=https://www.mindat.org/article.php/2423/The+Lead+Mines+at+Charterhouse+in+the+Mendip+Hills |access-date=2019-03-18 |website=www.mindat.org}}</ref> Part of a Romano-British sculpted head and part of a Roman road surface were found near Clink, Frome:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roman sculpted head and road surface, Clink Road, Frome |url=https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/25721 |access-date=2019-03-17 |website=Somerset HER |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715191217/https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/25721 |archive-date=15 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> possibly linked to a Roman road running south from [[Aquae Sulis]] (Bath), but this has been traced only as far as Oldford Farm, Selwood, just {{convert|2|mi|km|0}} north of Frome.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roman road S from Bath |url=https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/24223 |access-date=2019-03-17 |website=Somerset HER |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715191216/https://www.somersetheritage.org.uk/record/24223 |archive-date=15 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Just to the southeast is Friggle Street, suggestive of a Roman road.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitaker |first=Bob |date=2010 |title=Roman Road Research Part One |url=https://www.bacas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2010-18-20.pdf |access-date=2019-05-24 |website=Bath and Counties Archaeological Society |pages=2 |type=PDF}}</ref>

In April 2010, the [[Frome Hoard]], one of the largest hoards of [[Roman Britain|Roman]] coins discovered in Britain, was found in a field near the town by a metal detectorist; the 52,500 coins dating from the third century AD were in a jar {{convert|14|in|cm}} below the surface.<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 July 2010 |title=Huge Roman coin find for hobbyist |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10546960.stm |access-date=8 July 2010}}</ref> The coins were excavated by archaeologists from the [[Portable Antiquities Scheme]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Booth |first=Anna |date=8 July 2010 |title=The Frome Hoard |url=http://finds.org.uk/blogs/fromehoard/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712200444/http://finds.org.uk/blogs/fromehoard/ |archive-date=12 July 2010 |access-date=8 July 2010 |publisher=[[Portable Antiquities Scheme]] |df=dmy}}</ref> and some are now on display in the [[British Museum]]. The find was the subject of a BBC TV programme ''Digging for Britain'' in August 2010. A further 250 [[Dubunni|Dubonnic]] coins had been found in an urn when ploughing near Nunney in 1860; they included those of [[Claudius]] who began the conquest of Britain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pastscape |url=https://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=202790 |access-date=4 February 2019 |publisher=[[Historic England]] }}</ref> Other coins continue to be found in this neighbourhood, both Roman and Byzantine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search results: Nunney |url=http://finds.org.uk/database/search/results/q/Nunney |access-date=2019-09-04 |website=The Portable Antiquities Scheme |publisher=The British Museum|language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904093825/https://finds.org.uk/database/search/results/q/Nunney |archive-date=4 September 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>