Tolpuddle

 Tolpuddle: The Martyrs' Tree

Tolpuddle is of course the home of the famous Martyrs: six farm workers who were members of a trade union,  Friendly Society for Agricultural Labourers and who were sentenced to transportation to Australia on dubious charges of swearing an illegal oath. The real reason was that the local squire wanted to stamp out the union. They were pardoned three years afterwards and returned to England. The London Dorchester Committee raised funds with public support to buy leases on farms in Essex for the returning Martyrs. Five of them still campaigned for working men's rights, supporting the Chartist movement, while one stayed quietly in Tolpuddle. The five in Essex never felt comfortable there and emigrated to Canada.

We started our walk at the Martyrs Tree, where the union members were supposed to have met. Nearby is a shelter erected as a memorial in 1934.

We headed up the main street lined with thatched cottages ...

... passing the 13th century church, where one of the Martyrs was buried ...

... and going beyond the designated path to have quick look at the Martyrs Museum.

In 1934 the TUC decided to build a lasting tribute to the Tolpuddle Martyrs by building six cottages to accommodate retired agricultural trade unionists. The section under the middle gable is the small but informative museum.

Returning the path, we headed north, passing a house with a massive tent (teepee? yurt?) in the back garden.

We headed uphill into a wooded area where we delighted to immediately spot some Meadow Browns and Orange Tips. We passed under the busy A35 and walked diagonally across a field. Further along, three horses in a field spotted us and charged across to say hello. They were so quick that I could only get two of them in my photo.

 Now there was a nice view to the west ...

... and a bit further on one also westwards towards Crawthorne Farm, which together give a good sense of the countryside.

We turned right (i.e. east) along a track at the top of a field and saw more more Orange Tips (mainly females - noticing how the grey markings on the underwings extend to the corners of the upper wings.

We passed some derelict barns and descended into what the walk book calls a "secret green valley". I am not sure about secret, but it was visually very pleasing.

We turned right, with the iron age hill fort of Weatherby Castle above us on the left.

Soon we entered a green lane and began to descend towards the A35, crossing a foot bridge to reach the other side. We then joined a road down into the village again.

Conditions: bright but very windy.

Distance: 4.5 miles.

Map: Explorer 117 (Cerne Abbas & Bere Regis.

From: 50 walks in Dorset (AA).

Rating: four stars. An interesting mixture of heritage, country and a few butterflies.