Toller Porcorum () is a village and
civil parish in
Dorset,
England, situated in the
Toller valley northwest of
Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil parish—which also includes the small settlements of Higher and Lower Kingcombe to the north—had a
population of 307.
[
]
Population
A rural and slowly growing area with a population of 307
History
Like the other Toller villages of Toller Fratrum
Toller Fratrum () is a very small village and civil parish in Dorset, England, near Maiden Newton, anciently in Tollerford Hundred.
The name is taken from the village's situation on the brook formerly known as the Toller, now called the Hooke. ...
and Toller Whelme
Toller Whelme is a small hamlet in Dorset, England, situated in the civil parish of Corscombe approximately east of Beaminster, north of Bridport and north-west of Dorchester. There are seven homes in the hamlet: West Farm, Norcombe Hayes, Man ...
, the name was taken from the river, which is now known as the Hooke Hooke may refer to:
* Hooke, Dorset, England
** River Hooke, nearby watercourse
* Robert Hooke (1635–1703), English natural philosopher who discovered Hooke's law
* Hooke (surname), a surname
* Hooke (lunar crater)
* Hooke (Martian crater)
* ...
. The addition ''Porcorum'' means ''of the pigs'' in Latin; the village was in the past sometimes known as ''Swines Toller'', but more often as ''Great Toller''.
Toller Porcorum is also an ancient Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
ecclesiastical parish. The church is dedicated to Saints Peter
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
and Andrew and is remarkable for the "drooping chancel".
From 1862 to 1975 the village had a railway station on the Bridport Railway.
The Old Swan
The village pub, ''The Old Swan'', was closed by the brewery in 1999 and has since been converted into a private dwelling. Skittles
Skittles may refer to:
* Skittles (confectionery), a brand of fruit-flavor chewy candy, distributed by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
*'' Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical''
* Skittles (sport), the game from which bowling originated
* Skittles (ch ...
was played there.
The village hall
The village has an active village hall, with its own website, which prior to Covid-19 hosted a range of events. https://tollervillagehall.co.uk//
Notable people
Despite its small size the village has been home to a number of notable people. George of Clarence (famous for having been mysteriously drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine) was at one point the owner of the majority of the village.
References
External links
Dorset Historic Churches Trust, with pictures
A site about Toller Porcorum, with pictures
Villages in Dorset
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