The Churches of Puddletown, Tolpuddle and
Milborne St Andrew with Dewlish
About us
We are a group of four village churches in rural Dorset.
Part of the Church of England, we are in the deanery of Dorchester and the diocese of Salisbury.
Although our congregations are small, we hold services every Sunday in each church.
Some use traditional, formal styles of worship; others are much less formal and more relaxed.
Our members are also very committed to community life in our villages.
You will find us involved in a whole variety of village organisations.
Our Clergy
The Revd Sarah Hillman is the current Vicar and also the Rural Dean of Dorchester.
She was born and brought up in Oxfordshire. She has theology degrees from the Universities of Cambridge and Nottingham, and was ordained in 2003.
Before ordination, Sarah had a variety of jobs, teaching, working for churches and for the Church Times, a national church newspaper.
She lives in Puddletown Vicarage with a dog, cats and hens.
sarah.c.hillman@outlook.com
The Vicarage, The Square, Puddletown, Dorchester DT2 8SL
01305 848784
Our Churchwardens
Jayne Brayshaw Tolpuddle
01305 849315
Sue Britton came to live and farm in Dewlish more than 50 years ago. Throughout this time she has worshipped at All Saints’ Church, and served on the PCC (church council) for the past 21 years. She became a church warden in 2009.
sueandchrisbritton@googlemail.com
01258 837218
Jim Burg, churchwarden at Dewlish, is a retired builder. He and his wife Daphne have lived in the village for 49 years, and have two children and four grandchildren. He has been warden for many years.
01258 837466
Hilly Cobban is one of Tolpuddle’s churchwardens. She has lived in the village for about 19 years and is married to John Taylor, a retired GP. She has a nursing background, mainly in care of the elderly but retired several years ago, to allow more time for family, friends and unpaid work! She was brought up in a Christian household, her father being on the General Synod, where he spoke up in favour of the ordination of women. She was secretary of the PCC for a couple of years before being asked to fill a vacant churchwarden post, which she did hesitantly but willingly. She feels she has grown to the job!
hlcobban@btinternet.com
07817 557367
Tony Fox - Milborne St Andrew
Dawn Loveless, born into a Christian family, has always lived and worked in Dorset and has been living in Puddletown for a total of twenty four years.
She was blessed with forty one years of marriage to Brian, has a son and a daughter and had a nursing career of thirty five years. In 1977, as a family, they built a bungalow and later, in 1988, had their own business in Weymouth. The business was a Care Home in a Grade two Listed Old Manor House next to St Nicholas church at Broadway. Brian and Dawn sold the business after fifteen years as Brian’s health had deteriorated.
The Church supported Dawn during Brian’s illness and also when she was widowed in 2005. As a result of their help her faith has survived and increased. She was involved in church duties in her previous parish as well as now at St Mary’s Puddletown. She has been a member of the PCC since 2018 and also has been the Children’s Society Coordinator since 2014.
Dawn enjoys her own family and has six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
01305 849534
Cynthia Metcalfe is a Lancastrian by birth but lived in the West of Scotland for many years. She trained as a teacher at S.Martin’s College, Lancaster and taught primary age children before going into special needs education, working mainly with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. She volunteered twice with Voluntary Service Overseas, spending two years in Papua New Guinea and two years in The Gambia. She moved to Dorset in 2017 and, as well as her duties as churchwarden, drives for Puddletown Neighbour Car Scheme and is involved with Messy Church and Open the Book. She enjoys playing a variety of sports.
01305 848043
Pam Shults grew up in a Christian family where she was brought up in the Faith. Since being a young teenager, she has enjoyed working with children and helping with children’s services, Sunday schools, church crèches, holiday clubs and many other situations. She has lived in many different places, and has always found churches where she has been welcomed and able to join in with home groups, toddler groups, bible study groups, etc. She hopes that she can continue to develop efficient skills in her role as churchwarden here at Milborne St Andrew.
01258 837203
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