The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of six 19th-century Dorset agricultural labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. The rules of the society show it was clearly structured as a friendly society and operated as a trade-specific benefit society. At the time, friendly societies had elements of what is now considered the predominant role of trade unions. On 18 March 1834, the Tolpuddle Martyrs were sentenced to penal transportation to Australia.
West Dorset is a local government district and parliamentary constituency in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Dorchester. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the boroughs of Bridport, Dorchester and Lyme Regis, along with Sherborne urban district, and the rural districts of Beaminster, Bridport, Dorchester and Sherborne. In 2006 the district was named 10th best place to live in the UK.
Woolland is a village and civil parish in north Dorset, England, situated in the Blackmore Vale under Bulbarrow Hill 7 miles (11 km) west of Blandford Forum. In 2013 the estimated population of the civil parish was 50. The village had a population of 76 in 2001. The village is first mentioned in Cartularium Saxonicum from the year 939 Wonlond, the Domesday Book from the year 1086 Winlande and the Pipe Rolls from the year 1170 Wunlanda. The name is interpreted as Old English wynn-land meadow land or pasture land.
South Dorset is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Richard Drax, a Conservative. The constituency was created as a consequence of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, although the area covered has changed since then.
Max Gate is the former home of Thomas Hardy and is located on the outskirts of Dorchester, Dorset, England. It was designed and built by Thomas Hardy for his own use in 1885 and he lived there until his death in 1928. In 1940 it was bequeathed to the National Trust by Hardy's sister and is now open to the public. It was designated as a Grade I listed building on 8 May 1970.
West Dorset is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Sir Oliver Letwin, a Conservative.
Poundbury Hill hill fort is the site of a Middle Bronze Age enclosure. It is roughly rectangular and it is likely that it was designed to command views over the River Frome and the Frome valley to the north. The main entrance to the fort is on the eastern end. It overlooks the county town of Dorchester, Dorset, England.
HM Prison Dorchester was a local men's prison, located in Dorchester in Dorset, England. The prison was operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and closed in December 2013.
The Portland Windmills are two disused stone towers which were used as windmills from at least the early 17th century. They are located south of Easton village and the east of Weston village. The towers, which are relatively short mills with conical caps, stand approximately 135 metres apart. They have been separate Grade II Listed monuments since September 1978, and are the only historic windmill remains to survive in Dorset.
Durdle Pier is a disused 17th-century stone shipping quay, located on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England; part of the Jurassic Coast. It is found close by Yeolands Quarry, on the east side of the island within the area of East Weares and Penn's Weare.
Easton Gardens is a public garden, located at Tophill, Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is found at Easton Square, the centre of Easton village. The gardens have remained a focal point since their opening in 1904 and have been awarded the Green Flag Award in recent years. The gardens feature grassed and formal bedding areas, with other facilities including a children's play area and basketball court.
Queen Anne House is an 18th-century detached house located within the village of Fortuneswell, on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. The house, together with its boundary wall and gate piers, has been a Grade II* listed building since May 1993.
The Church of Saint John the Evangelist is a Church of England parish church in Tolpuddle, Dorset. The church is a Grade I listed building.
The Eagle Squadrons Memorial is a Second World War memorial in Grosvenor Square, London. It commemorates the service of the three Royal Air Force Eagle Squadrons from 1940 to 1942, during the Battle of Britain, and in particular their 244 Americans and 16 British fighter pilots, of whom 71 were killed. The bronze sculpture of an eagle which tops the memorial is by Elisabeth Frink.
Shire Hall is an 18th-century courthouse in Dorchester, Dorset, designed by British architect Thomas Hardwick and built in 1796-97. The building was the centre of law, order and government, and served as the county hall for Dorset until 1955. It has been Grade-I listed since 1950. In 2018, the hall opened as the Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum.
St Elisabeth’s church is a Grade II listed building in Eastbourne, Sussex, England.
Chettle House is a Grade I listed country house in Chettle, North Dorset, England, about 6 miles (10 km) northeast of the town of Blandford Forum. It was built in 1710 for George Chafin, to designs of the architect Thomas Archer.
There are several cottages associated with the Tolpuddle Martyrs. Most are in Tolpuddle in Dorset while one is in Essex.
