# Tolpuddle > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tolpuddle > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tolpuddle.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolpuddle > Source revision: 1341396658 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Village in Dorset, England Human settlement in England Tolpuddle Parish Church of St John the Evangelist Tolpuddle Location within Dorset Population 420 (2023 estimate) [1] OS grid reference SY792944 Civil parish Burleston and Tolpuddle Unitary authority Dorset Ceremonial county Dorset Region South West Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town Dorchester Postcode district DT2 Police Dorset Fire Dorset and Wiltshire Ambulance South Western UK Parliament North 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/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English)) is a village in the [civil parish](/source/Civil_parish) of [Burleston and Tolpuddle](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burleston_and_Tolpuddle&action=edit&redlink=1), in [Dorset](/source/Dorset), England, on the [River Piddle](/source/River_Piddle) from which it takes its name, 8 miles (13 km) east of [Dorchester](/source/Dorchester%2C_Dorset), the county town, and 12 miles (19 km) west of [Poole](/source/Poole). The estimated population of the parish in 2013 was 420.[1] ## Etymology Tolpuddle originally bore the name 'Tolpiddle'.[2] The entry for Tolpuddle in the Key to English Place-Names reads: 'Tola's River Piddle farm/settlement'. Tola was the widow of [Edward the Confessor's](/source/Edward_the_Confessor) [house-carl](/source/Housecarl), Urc. She was given permission to give her lands to [Abbotsbury abbey](/source/Abbotsbury_Abbey) between 1058 and 1066.[3] ## Tolpuddle Martyrs The Green at Tolpuddle. It is believed that whilst sitting under this sycamore tree, the six [Tolpuddle Martyrs](/source/Tolpuddle_Martyrs) agreed to form a trade union The village is well known as the home of the [Tolpuddle Martyrs](/source/Tolpuddle_Martyrs), six men who were sentenced to be [transported](/source/Penal_transportation) to [Australia](/source/Australia) after they formed a [friendly society](/source/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](/source/Tolpuddle_Martyrs_festival) is held in the village on the third weekend of July. An ancient [sycamore tree](/source/Acer_pseudoplatanus) on the village green, known as the [Martyrs' Tree](/source/Acer_pseudoplatanus#Tolpuddle_Martyrs'_Tree), is said to be the place where the Martyrs swore their oath. It is cared for by the [National Trust](/source/National_Trust).[4] The Martyrs Inn [public house](/source/Public_house) is owned by nearby [Athelhampton House](/source/Athelhampton_House), a [Tudor](/source/Tudor_period) house open to the public approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the west. ## Landmarks St John the Evangelist's Parish Church dates from the 13th century.[5] In 1999, the [A35](/source/A35_road) [trunk road](/source/Trunk_road) through south Dorset, was moved to bypass both Tolpuddle and nearby [Puddletown](/source/Puddletown).[6] ## Governance At the local government level, Tolpuddle is in the [Puddletown](/source/Puddletown) Area parish council and the [Dorset unitary authority](/source/Dorset_(district)) area.[7] For elections to [Dorset Council](/source/Dorset_Council_(UK)) is part of the [Puddletown and Lower Winterborne](/source/Puddletown_and_Lower_Winterborne_(ward)) electoral ward.[8] On 1 April 2024 the parish was abolished and merged with [Burleston](/source/Burleston) to form "Burleston and Tolpuddle".[9] Historically, Tolpuddle was in [Puddletown Hundred](/source/Puddletown_Hundred). It was part of [Dorchester Rural District](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dorchester_Rural_District&action=edit&redlink=1) from 1894 to 1974,[10] and [West Dorset](/source/West_Dorset) district from 1974 to 2019. In the UK national parliament, Tolpuddle is within the [North Dorset parliamentary constituency](/source/North_Dorset_(UK_Parliament_constituency)), having been moved from [West Dorset](/source/West_Dorset_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in 2024. ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dcc_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dcc_1-1) ["Parish Population Data"](https://www.dorsetforyou.com/344882). Dorset County Council. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Tolpuddle Census 1841"](https://www.opcdorset.org/TolpuddleFiles/1841Tolpuddle.htm). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Key to English Place-names"](http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Dorset/Tolpuddle). *Key to English Place-Names*. Retrieved 16 June 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Tolpuddle Martyrs village tree pruning carried out"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-29948177). *news.bbc.co.uk*. BBC News. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** *West Dorset Holiday and Tourist Guide*. West Dorset District Council. c. 1983. p. 21. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["A30 Exeter to Bere Regis"](http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120810121037/http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/3505.aspx). Highways Agency. Archived from [the original](http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/3505.aspx) on 10 August 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Home - Puddletown Area Parish Council"](http://www.puddletownareaparishcouncil.co.uk/). *www.puddletownareaparishcouncil.co.uk*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Area profile for Puddletown & Lower Winterborne - Dorset Council"](https://gi.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/insights/AreaProfiles/Ward/puddletown-and-lower-winterborne). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Dorset Registration District"](https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/dorset.html). UKBMD. Retrieved 4 August 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Place:Dorchester Rural, Dorset, England - Genealogy"](https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Place:Dorchester_Rural,_Dorset,_England). *www.werelate.org*. ## Further reading - Pitt-Rivers, Michael (1969). *Dorset*. London: Faber & Faber. ## External links - [Website](https://www.tolpuddlevillage.co.uk/home) Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Tolpuddle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tolpuddle). Authority control databases VIAF This Dorset location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Dorset-geo-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3ADorset-geo-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Dorset-geo-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tolpuddle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolpuddle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolpuddle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.