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February 2021 February 2021

the river Piddle, is aptly named
BERE REGIS NEWS because of these huge
‘puddles’. This of course is the
case of current period only
BERE REGIS PARISH COUNCIL because previously the hamlet
was in fact called Turners Piddle.
Chairman: Ian Ventham 471480 ianrventham@gmail.com This was changed to Turners
P u d d l e t o g e t h e r w i t h
P i d d l e t o w n , T o l p i d d l e ,
Vice Chairman: Bryan Benjafield 07969 bryan@cheapprintingdorset.co.uk Affpiddle , and Briantspiddle,
770890
which were changed to
P u d d l e t o w n , To l p u d d l e ,
Parish Clerk: Amanda 01935 bereregispc@gmail.com Affpuddle and Briantspuddle.
Crocker 83454
Why? Because Queen Victoria as a young girl was to visit this part of Dorset and it
was thought that the word piddle was not a suitable name for her to be met with.
Websites: www.bereregisparishcouncil.co.uk The word piddle was in fact used in old Dorset terms for the water that was
www.bereregis.org escaping from a swampy area, hence the River Piddle. Why the river’s name was
not changed is not known, although it is also called the River Trent but why or
when this is so, I can’t find out.
th
The Parish Council met remotely via Zoom on Thursday 14 January 2021 with
three members of the public present. The next meeting will be on Thursday 11 Another interesting fact is that the farm which encompasses Turnerspuddle is
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February 2021, again remotely. If you wish to join the meeting, or wish to send in a known as Tonerspuddle Farm. This is because Oliver Cromwell gifted the land here
question to be read out, please contact the clerk beforehand. to a man who was obviously a Frenchman or of a French family called De Tonner,
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in the 16 century. The present owners, the Debenham family not only call the

farm Tonerspuddle but refer to the hamlet by the same name.
Matters Raised by Members of the Public
Another version of the name, apparently comes from an earlier time, namely
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A member of the parish raised the matter of the increase in the precept (the during the reign of Henry I, in the 11 or 12 .century when the land was given to a
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Parish’s element of Council Tax), notice of which had been published in the Henry Toner by the king. I am afraid I don’t know anyone old enough to tell me
December Parish Magazine and on the Village which one is correct.
Facebook page. He had two issues. Firstly, the full
budget had not been put on the Council Website Despite the Piddle being only a
with the minutes of the November minutes, and small river, two years ago I was
secondly, he expressed the view that the proposed walking back from Throop to
rise at this time was excessive. Turners Puddle and as usual I
stopped on the bridge over the
The Chairman apologised for the omission of the river to see what was about.
budget paper from the minutes due to an Suddenly from the south a large
oversight. The budget papers are now available on bird flew upstream and under the
the website and the explanation for the individual bridge on which I was standing. It
expense increases can be found in the November was big enough to have to close it
2020 minutes, also available on the website. wings to manoeuvre through the
bridges under structure. It made a
On the matter of the rise, the Chairman explained considerable noise with its flying manoeuvres and for such a large bird had me
that much additional work that previously would almost mesmerised. I didn’t have a great chance to see it clearly but I am sure
have been done by Dorset Council was now falling after looking it up that it was a cormorant. Why a bird of this size had made it so
to parishes or would not be done at all. For

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