Tolpuddle

The Martyrs' Tree, Tolpuddle

This walk starts in the small, but famous, village of Tolpuddle - home of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. They were six early trade unionists who were sentenced to seven years' transportation in 1834 for taking illegal oaths - although their real crime was fighting against a cut in agricultural wages. They used to meet under an old sycamore tree (above). I didn't know that after a public campaign they were released a few years later and five of them immediately emigrated to Canada. The sixth, James Hammett, returned to live in Tolpuddle and died there in 1891 at the age of 80.

We started our walk with lunch at the Martyrs Inn and quickly turned north to climb a lane up to the busy (i.e. noisy) A35. We crossed this and followed field paths and then a lane away from it towards Weatherby Castle, an iron age settlement.

We climbed up to it and then went in through the outer screen of trees to explore. A substantial defensive ditch and mound is immediately revealed.

Further inside lies an obelisk. Our walk book helpfully mentions its existence, but adds only that it can be difficult to locate among the trees. The map makes clear its location however. It is dated 1761 on a little plaque which also gives the initials of Edmund Morton Pleydell who erected it. Pleydell owned Milbourne House and, before the trees took over, would have been able to see the folly from it.

From here, we descended a bit and followed a track along the bottom of a shallow valley, heading west. Looking back, there was a find combination of a dark threatening sky with sun striking a grassy field.

After some while, we encountered a track and turned left to head up a narrow hedged path, cross several fields and then the A35 to return to Tolpuddle. We now walked back along the main street past the 13th century church of St John.

Hammett's grave is signposted in the churchyard. Although by the celebrated sculptor and graphic designer Eric Gill, it is says Pevsner "totally undistinguished". It is impossible to disagree.

At bit further on, near the Martyrs' Tree, there is a covered seat erected in 1934 as a memorial and a smaller sycamore planted in 1984 by Len Murray, General Secretary of the TUC, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary.

From: Pocket pub walks in Dorset by Nigel Vile (Countryside Books).

Map: Explorer 177 (Cerne Abbas and Bere Regis).

Conditions: rain and sun, quite mild, muddy underfoot again.

Distance: 5 miles.

Rating: three and a half stars.