Tolpuddle ( /ˈtɒlpʌdəl/) is a village in the civil parish of Burleston and Tolpuddle, 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 of the parish in 2013 was 420.[1]

Tolpuddle
Tolpuddle is located in Dorset
Tolpuddle
Tolpuddle
Location within Dorset
Population420 (2023 estimate) [1]
OS grid referenceSY792944
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDorchester
Postcode districtDT2
PoliceDorset
FireDorset and Wiltshire
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Dorset
50°44′58″N 2°17′46″W / 50.7495°N 2.2962°W / 50.7495; -2.2962

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]

The Green at Tolpuddle. It is believed that whilst sitting under this sycamore tree, the six Tolpuddle Martyrs agreed to form a trade union

Governance

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At the local government level, Tolpuddle is in the Puddletown Area parish council and the Dorset unitary authority area.[5] For elections to Dorset Council is part of the Puddletown and Lower Winterborne electoral ward.[6] On 1 April 2024 the parish was abolished and merged with Burleston to form "Burleston and Tolpuddle".[7]

Historically, Tolpuddle was in Puddletown Hundred. It was part of Dorchester Rural District from 1894 to 1974,[8] and West Dorset district from 1974 to 2019.

In the UK national parliament, Tolpuddle is within the West Dorset parliamentary constituency.

References

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

Notes

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  1. ^ a b "Parish Population Data". Dorset County Council. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Tolpuddle Martyrs village tree pruning carried out". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  3. ^ West Dorset Holiday and Tourist Guide. West Dorset District Council. c. 1983. p. 21.
  4. ^ "A30 Exeter to Bere Regis". Highways Agency. Archived from the original on 10 August 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Home - Puddletown Area Parish Council". www.puddletownareaparishcouncil.co.uk.
  6. ^ "Area profile for Puddletown & Lower Winterborne - Dorset Council".
  7. ^ "Dorset Registration District". UKBMD. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Place:Dorchester Rural, Dorset, England - Genealogy". www.werelate.org.
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