Acton
Acton and Piles of Purbeck Stone
Acton Location within Dorset
OS grid reference	SY988784
Civil parish	Langton Matravers
District	Purbeck
Shire county	Dorset
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SWANAGE
Postcode district	BH19
Dialling code	01929
Police	Dorset
Fire	Dorset and Wiltshire
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	South Dorset
List of places UK England Dorset 50°36′22″N 2°01′01″W / 50.6061°N 2.0169°W / 50.6061; -2.0169

Acton is a hamlet in the parish of Langton Matravers, on the Isle of Purbeck, in the county of Dorset in the south of England.^[1][2] The hamlet of Acton was built as living quarters for the quarrymen working at the local quarries.

The name “Acton” is derived from the Old English for “farm for young sheep”, the first element of which is *tacca.^[3] The hamlet was documented in the Domesday Book as Tacatone.^{[citation needed]}

Politics

Acton is covered by the South Dorset constituency.

After 2019 structural changes to local government in England, Acton is part of the South East Purbeck ward which elects 1 member to Dorset Council.^[4]

Notable people

Philosopher Michael Oakeshott retired to Acton in 1968, eventually dying in the hamlet, aged 89, in 1990.^[5]