River Piddle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids River Piddle |
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The River Piddle at Piddlehinton
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 Location within Dorset
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| Other name(s) | River Trent |
| Country | England |
| County | Dorset |
| Towns and villages | Wareham, Tolpuddle, Puddletown, Piddletrenthide |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Alton Pancras Dorset |
| River mouth | Poole Harbour, Purbeck, Dorset 50°41′39″N 2°04′44″W / 50.6941°N 2.0788°W |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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The River Piddle is a small river in Dorset, England. It is also known as the Trent or North River. This river starts near the church in Alton Pancras.
Alton Pancras was once called Awultune. This old Saxon name means "the village at the source of a river." The name "Piddle" comes from old Germanic words. It has been spelled differently over many years.
In the year 966, people called it 'Pidelen'. On the church tower in Piddletrenthide, which is the first village the river flows through, it is spelled 'Pydel'.
Villages Along the River Piddle
Many villages get their names from the River Piddle. These include Piddletrenthide and Piddlehinton. Other villages are Puddletown, Tolpuddle, Affpuddle, Briantspuddle, and Turnerspuddle.
Why is it Called Puddle?
There is a local story about the name. It says that people in the Victorian times changed the spelling to 'Puddle'. This was because 'piddle' sounded like another word. However, old maps show the name 'Puddletown' was used much earlier. For example, a map from 1610 by John Speed already shows 'Puddletown'. Even so, Puddletown was still sometimes called Piddletown into the 1950s.
Where Does the River Piddle Flow?
The River Piddle flows south first. Then it turns and flows towards the southeast. It generally runs next to a larger river called the River Frome.
Both rivers eventually reach Wareham. From there, they flow into Poole Harbour through a waterway called Wareham Channel. This is where the River Piddle's journey ends.
