THOSE who read the last issue of Frome Times will know that the NatWest bank next to the George pub is soon to close, but it may not be widely known that the building itself has a long and interesting history.
On the opposite side of Cork Street lies a large Georgian building now known as Monmouth House which was once owned and occupied by Thomas Bunn, a local solicitor and philanthropist, who was a great admirer of classical architecture, and largely responsible for the construction of Bath Street shortly after 1810.
The land upon which NatWest stands was once part of his kitchen garden and, very aware that the town had no large meeting place or assembly room for functions from balls to lectures, he persuaded his good friend, Lord Cork, cover the cost of a new building attached to the George Hotel which Cork owned. The original plans, drawn up by architect John Pinch in 1813 imagined a totally rebuilt pub with the new rooms attached but the scheme was thought to be too expensive and the George was left alone for the time being.
The building we see today is a scaled down version but still a good example of the Greek revival style designed by architect GA Underwood who was also responsible for the shops along the town bridge. According to reports in the local newspaper the upper room measured 48ft by 24ft, and was an incredible 24ft in height and connected to the George on the top floor.
The Assembly Room opened on 14th August 1818 with a public dinner and quickly became the scene of many concerts and society balls including a notable banquet to celebrate the coronation of William IV. All this celebrity glitz was presided over by Henry Hilliar who had taken the lease in 1819 and remained until 1838, all of which emphasised the importance of the inn’s central location to the life of the town; in 1850 celebrations were held at the opening of Frome railway station.
Hillier’s long tenancy was not without incident. In 1832 Frome was given the right to elect an MP under the reform act of that year. Henry had perhaps unwisely allowed one of the candidates, Sir Thomas Champneys of Orchardleigh, to use the inn as his headquarters, while his rival, Tom Sheppard, a local clothier and major employer was allowed use of the Crown next door. Champneys was happily addressing the assembled multitude from the hotel balcony when Sheppard arrived attended by ‘at least one third of the constituency’ and about 600 men from his factories.
One of the assembled mob attacked Sheppard as he was getting out of his carriage ‘tearing the coat from his back’. This gave rise to a general free for all which was eventually calmed down enough for speeches to be made – made but not heard as the noise was so great with jeering, insults and stones being thrown.
The original ground floor was initially the meat market, situated at the end of the Upper Market known as the ‘shambles’ where cattle were killed and butchered. Sometime later it became the Market Hall, until 1875 when the new one was built down beside the river, (now the Cheese & Grain). The old undercroft was sold off to become a branch of Stuckeys Bank, and after a number of mergers and takeovers it eventually became the National Westminster. In the 1970s the bank took over the Assembly Room as well, subdividing the magnificent space and using it as offices; its last function was a civic reception held on 16 March to mark the end of the Frome Urban District Council.
What future awaits this distinguished old building? We will have to wait-and-see but hopefully it doesn’t become yet another of the towns long-term empty properties. Maybe Wadworth, the now owners of the pub, will buy it back and reinstate the glorious Assembly Rooms of Georgian times.
Further information about the history of the town’s pubs can be found in the book, The Historic Inns of Frome, obtainable from Winstones book shop or Frome Museum.
Mick Davis
