Dorchester's famous writers and poets

Hardy Cottage, Higher Bockhampton, near Dorchester

Hardy Cottage is a beautiful secluded place to visit if you are following the Thomas Hardy Trail through Dorset.The cottage, just outside Higher Bockhapmton, was built by Hardy's great-grandfather in 1800 and little has been altered externally since then.

It is a popular place for tourists to visit and see where Hardy wrote Under the Greenwood Tree and Far from the Madding Crowd.

The cottage is traditionally built from cob and the thatched roof is a wonderful backdrop to the roses, honeysuckle and japonica that climb the walls. Catch the cottage on a sunny Summers day and you won't find a prettier place in Dorset to spend a couple of hours.

The cottage stands at the top of the hill off Cuckoo Lane in Higher Bockhampton and behind it stretches Egdon Heath, which Hardy wrote of in 'The Return of the Native'. Take your walking shoes and enjoy a walk through the woods and beyond into Puddletown Forest.

Continue the Thomas Hardy Trail by taking in another National Trust property with Hardy connections - Max Gate, where Thomas Hardy wrote many poems and eventually died.

Thomas Hardy Cottage Opening Details:-

Open from 16 Mar - 30 Oct 2011

11am - 5pm Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun B/H Mondays

Last admission 30 min before closing

Higher Bockhampton, nr Dorchester, Dorset DT2 8QJ
Telephone: 01305 262366

01305 262366
Fax: 01297 561901
Email: hardyscottage@nationaltrust.org.uk

Admission Price: adult £4.75 child £2.20

Parking is restricted. The cottage is reached via a 10 minute walk from the car park. Please check latest opening times/admission prices at the National Trust website before setting out.