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Dorchester Accommodation

Hardy's Cottage at Higher Bockhampton is open to visitors March-October

Thomas Hardy's memorial in Dorchester

Dorset County Museum in Dorchester holds the largest Hardy collection in the world

Riverside Villa in Sturminster Newton where Hardy once lived

The Old Crown Courts & Cells in Dorchester where a case was inspiration for Hardy

Dorchester was the backdrop for Hardy's the Mayor of Casterbridge

Hardy used Sherborne in his novels but called it Sherton Abbas

Avice's cottage in "The Well Beloved" was based on Portland Museum

Thomas Hardy Novelist Poet Dorchester Wessex Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy was born and spent most of his life in Dorset. He was born not far from Dorchester at Higher Bockhampton and he lived on the outskirts of Dorchester at Max Gate. Although he spent some time in London his heart never left Dorset and he spent the majority of his life here.

He used places, names, landscapes and local events as inspiration for many of his stories and characters. Nearly everywhere you go in Dorset you'll find some reference to Hardy and it appears he travelled widely. Being such a beautiful county it is no wonder it has been such an inspiration to him and other poets and writers.

Featured Dorset Accommodation

Poundbury B&B - Poundbury

Elegant 5 Star Luxury Period House B&B in Poundbury Village, Open Views, Varied Breakfast Menu, Immaculate Presentation, Parking, Homemade Cakes on Arrival

£30 to £38 Per person B&B (2 sharing)

Thomas Hardy's Cottage Higher Bockhampton

Thomas Hardy was born and spent most of his life in Dorset. He was born not far from Dorchester at Higher Bockhampton in a cob and thatch cottage that his grandfather originally built.

You can visit the cottage and its traditional country cottage garden as it's now owned by the National Trust. It has changed little since the Hardy family lived here and the interior has been furnished in the style it would have been when Hardy lived here and wrote "Under the Greenwood Tree" and "Far from the Madding Crowd".

Hardy's Cottage lies three miles north east of Dorchester and is open from 11am-5pm end March-October on Mondays-Thursdays and Sundays.

Hardy's Cottage, Higher Bockhampton, nr Dorchester, Dorset DT2 8QJ. Telephone: 01305 262366.

Thomas Hardy's Max Gate Dorchester

Another of Hardy's residences that is open to the public is Max Gate just a mile east of Dorchester.

This was designed by Hardy who trained as an architect originally and built by his father in 1885. He was working on The Mayor of Casterbridge when it was being built and he was overseeing the project. Later Jude the Obscure and Tess of the D'Urbervilles were also written here along with a large part of his poetry. Hardy and his wife Emma moved here and, although Emma met an untimely death, Hardy remained here until he died in 1928.

You can visit the gardens, hall, dining and drawing rooms at Max Gate in which there are several pieces of Hardy's furniture. Private visits and tours are also available organised by the tenants.

Max Gate is open from 2-5pm end March-September on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Max Gate, Alington Avenue, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 2AB. Tel: 01305 262538. Fax: 01305 250978. Email: maxgate@nationaltrust.org.uk. Check the links right for more information.

Dorset County Museum Dorchester - Thomas Hardy Collection

Dorchester is where you'll find Dorset County Museum. Amongst its collections on Dorset s geology, farming history, and wildlife the museum holds the largest Thomas Hardy collection in the world.

Many of his manuscripts, books, diaries, photographs, notebooks and paintings were bequeathed to the museum by Hardy's second wife and secretary, Florence Hardy. There is also a reconstruction of Hardy's desk at Max Gate littered with his books and writing paraphernalia.

The museum is open from Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Oct-Jun and Mon-Sun 10am-5pm Jul-Sept.

The Dorset County Museum, High West Street Dorchester Dorset DT1 1XA. Tel: 01305 262735. Fax: 01305 257180. Email: enquiries@dorsetcountymuseum.org

Hardy's Burial Place St Michael's Church Stinsford

After his death Hardy was buried at Poets Corner at Westminster Abbey. However, his family and friends had intended that he be buried at Stinsford in the same grave as his first wife, Emma Gifford, whose sudden death in 1912 had shaken him and inspired him to explore his grief through poetry.

As a compromise his heart was buried with his wife at Stinsford while his ashes were buried at Poets Corner. St Michael's Church in Stinsford, north east of the town centre, is not only where his heart rests, but also where Hardy was christened. He also used the church in "Under the Greenwood Tree" and featured Stinsford as "Mellstock" in his writing.

A stained glass window in the church has been inscribed in his honour.

Hardy Walking Tours

Blue Badge Guided Walking Tours are available in Dorchester that will take you on a Thomas Hardy's 'Casterbridge' Tour.

There are also self guided walking tours highlighted by leaflets available from the local Tourist Information Centre including "Thomas Hardy Wessex Series An Insight to Hardy", "Walk around Dorchester with Hardy", "10 Hardy Novel Tours".

Thomas Hardy Trail Dorset

Hardy took inspiration for his novels and poems from real life incidents and the towns and villages that he was most familiar. He crafted his books around the county of Wessex which included Dorset in the old Saxon Kingdom of Wessex.

Hardy would often change place names for the fictional stories, as he did with Sherborne to Sherton Abbas, Cerne Abbas to Abbots Cernel and Beaminster to Emminster in Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but enough of the landscape and architecture was alluded to to give us clues as to where the stories were really set.

You can take a whole host of walks or tours around Dorset to some of the more familiar locations.

The Hardy Trail has an inner and outer route which takes you to places where Thomas Hardy lived and wrote. Click the link right for more details.

Hardy's Blackmore Vale - Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Blackmore Vale, over which Sturminster Newton overlooks, was called the "Vale of the little dairies" by Hardy and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" was set here. This has changed little since that time and dairy farming is still prevalent here.

Thomas Hardy lived in Sturminster Newton when he and his first wife set up home here. He wrote "The Return of the Native" while living in Riverside Villa, a cottage overlooking the River Stour.

Hardy's Sources of Inspiration

Hardy is said to have used the case of Martha Browne at Dorchester's Old Crown Court & Cells in 1856 as inspiration for Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Browne was the last woman to be pubilcly hanged for murdering her husband with an axe! Beaminster in West Dorset was also used as a backdrop for Tess of the D'Urbervilles in which he calls it Emminster.

Portland Museum on the Isle of Portland was Hardy's inspiration for the heroine Avice's cottage in his novel "The Well Beloved".

Riverside Walks

The River Frome flows near Stinsford and the riverside walk was apparently one of Hardy's favourites. It is mentioned in "Under Milk Wood" and it would have been well trodden by Hardy in his youth, going from the cottage at Higher Bockhampton to St Michael's Church.

The walk is a lovely wooded riverside walk over ancient bridges and past thatched cottages. The route is described at the Thomas Hardy Country link right.