| Puddletown | |
|
Puddletown
Puddletown shown within Dorset |
|
| Population | 1,177 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SY758943 |
| District | West Dorset |
| Shire county | Dorset |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Puddletown |
| Postcode district | DT2 |
| Dialling code | 01305 |
| Police | Dorset |
| Fire | Dorset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | West Dorset |
| List of places: UK • England • Dorset | |
Puddletown (formerly Piddletown) is a village in Dorset, England, 5 miles east of Dorchester in the River Piddle valley. The village has a population of 1,177 (2001), of which 30.3% are retired.
Puddletown was featured in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, where it was renamed as the village of Weatherbury.
Contents |
The church of St Mary is mainly late medieval with an earlier core. Features of interest include the beaker-shaped font, the panelled roof to the nave, and the 17th century box pews, pulpit and gallery. There are also a number of 15th and 16th century monumental brasses and some stained glass by Ninian Comper.[1]
Tryphena Sparks, Thomas Hardy's cousin, who was the inspiration for Hardy's poem Thoughts of Phena at News of Her Death.[2]