Tolpuddle

Human settlement in England

Dorset

Dorset

Region

South West

CountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townDorchesterPostcode districtDT2PoliceDorsetFire Dorset and Wiltshire Ambulance South Western UK Parliament

West Dorset

List of places: UK; England; Dorset

50°44′58″N 2°17′46″W / 50.7495°N 2.2962°W / 50.7495; -2.2962

Tolpuddle ( /ˈtɒlpʌdəl/) is a village in Dorset, England, on the River Piddle from which it takes its name, 8 miles (13 km) east of Dorchester, the county town, and 12 miles (19 km) west of Poole. The estimated population in 2013 was 420.^[1]

The village is well known as the home of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, six men who were sentenced to be transported to Australia after they formed a friendly society in 1833. A row of cottages, housing agricultural workers and a museum, and a row of seated statues commemorate the martyrs. The annual Tolpuddle Martyrs festival is held in the village on the third weekend of July. An ancient sycamore tree on the village green, known as the Martyrs' Tree, is said to be the place where the Martyrs swore their oath. It is cared for by the National Trust.^[2]

The Martyrs Inn public house is owned by nearby Athelhampton House, a Tudor house open to the public approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the west.

St John the Evangelist's Parish Church dates from the 13th century.^[3]

In 1999, the A35 trunk road through south Dorset, was moved to bypass both Tolpuddle and nearby Puddletown.^[4]

References

Pitt-Rivers, Michael, 1969. Dorset. London: Faber & Faber.

Notes

^ ^a ^b "Parish Population Data". Dorset County Council. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
^ "Tolpuddle Martyrs village tree pruning carried out". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
^ West Dorset Holiday and Tourist Guide. West Dorset District Council. c. 1983. p. 21.
^ "A30 Exeter to Bere Regis". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 10 August 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.