Frampton on Severn is a small village on the edge of the Cotswolds. Its main claim to fame is that it boasts the largest village green in England. When we visited villagers were playing cricket on the green outside the Bell Inn. The Green is sometimes known as Rosamund’s Green after Rosamund Clifford who was a mistress of King Henry II. She was said to have been extraordinarily beautiful, her name Rosa Mundi means rose of the world.

The village houses were built over several centuries and I thought Thursday doors fans might enjoy picking their favourite. Cast your votes in the comments below.

You might like a traditional thatched cottage.

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Frampton on Severn is about 10 miles from Gloucester on the eastern bank of the River Severn. The area around the Green has been designated a conservation area. Much of the village forms part of the Frampton Court Estate owned by the Clifford family since the Norman conquest. For nature and wildlife lovers Frampton is magnificent, much of the area east of the Green is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and there is an abundance of flora and fauna. Nearby is the Gloucester – Sharpness Canal with views over the River Severn. The old gravel workings have flooded to form ponds and lakes and are linked by a series of public footpaths.

We walked along the canal towpath to Saul junction where the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal meets the Stroudwater canal. The visitor centre is run by the canal and river trust, and we enjoyed refreshments in the cafe. Saul Junction used to be on the route that tall ships would take to Gloucester docks. The Gloucester and Sharpness canal is one of the broadest and deepest canals in England and allowed boats to bypass a treacherous stretch of the Severn Estuary. The national waterways museum in Gloucester tells the story of the canal and has a fascinating collection of boats on display.

It is close to the WWT wetlands reserve at Slimbridge and is very popular with ornithologists. Thousands of wetland birds migrate to the area every winter.

Purton ship graveyard

This is a one of about thirty ships and boats beached on this stretch of the Severn estuary. These hulks were deliberately placed here to protect the adjacent Gloucester and Sharpness Canal from the threat to it posed by erosion of the riverbank. Erosion episodes occurred in 1909 and 1951. The presence of the hulks interferes with the flow of the tide and causes the deposition of silt thus keeping the river at bay. This is ‘Rockby’, a Stroudwater barge built in the 1890s and beached in 1946.

Thursday doors

Thursday doors is a weekly feature which allows bloggers from around the world to share photos of their favourite buildings and the stories behind them. Visit my link to see what other bloggers have found this week or maybe you would like to submit your own post.