Description of Thomas Hardy Trail

Our Thomas Hardy break is a very flexible walk or tour of 2-4 nights. You can opt for a self-guided walk or an accompanied tour (or a bit of both) and therefore do as much or as little walking as you want. Accompanied tours are available for parties of three or more

As the Thomas Hardy Cottage, Max Gate and Clouds Hill are all National Trust properties and closed during the winter months, tours are restricted to between 9th March and end of October 2016. Please note entrance fees are not included in the price of the holiday (see below). The Thomas Hardy tour can also be combined with our Dorset Gardens tour to make a superb 5-7 night holiday.

About the Walks

It is not necessary to be a Thomas Hardy buff to enjoy this holiday, but if his novels or poetry appeal to you, then you should find these two days to be a very evocative experience. The walk or tour goes to places that are closely associated with the life and work of Hardy, as well as with his famous friend, T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).

If you click the banner below, please be aware that things have changed a bit since the article was written the route itself has been improved and the "bear of a man" has been replaced by two new faces - one slightly less bear-like?

Accommodation & Services

We will accommodate you in a B&B;, inn or hotel that is situated in a village or small town in the heart of Dorset's beautiful countryside. You will be collected each morning to be taken to the start of your walk and picked up in the late afternoon for the return journey to your accommodation. We will give you our detailed and informative Thomas Hardy Trail Guide with all the walking instructions plus a highlighted map, as well as all other information that you might need for your holiday. If you prefer not to walk far, this holiday can also be taken as a fully guided vehicle tour. Guided tours are available for parties of three or more. Please note that the entrance fees to Clouds Hill, Hardy’s Cottage, Dorchester Museum and Max Gate are not included in the price of the holiday. This is because many people are already members of the National Trust or affiliated organisation, and therefore have free admission. Entrance fee concessions for senior citizens may also apply. If you are in none of these categories, the cost per adult to visit these properties plus the Dorset Museum sites is about £25.

Trail Highlights

• Hardy’s Cottage (where Hardy was born and spent 28 years of his life)
Thomas Hardy's cottage, Max Gate, the house designed by Hardy where he lived from 1885 till his death in 1928, Max Gate
• The attractive hamlet of Stinsford (Mellstock) and its church, where Hardy’s family is buried and his own heart lies alongside his first wife
• T.E.Lawrence, a friend of Hardy who was more commonly known as Lawrence of Arabia, interesting and unusual small cottage (Clouds Hill) and his grave at Moreton
• Two beautiful churches: one at Bere Regis with its amazing 15th century roof, and the other at Moreton with its superb hand-engraved plain glass windows
• Dorset Museum, with the largest Hardy collection in the world and a reconstruction of his study, including his furniture, notebooks, photographs and manuscripts.
• Option of a range of walks encompassing Hardy’s Dorset