Hardy’s Cottage is the charming thatched birthplace of Thomas Hardy, England’s greatest Wessex novelist and poet, preserved exactly as it was when he was born here in 1840. This small cob-and-thatch cottage built by Hardy’s great-grandfather sits in peaceful woodland near Higher Bockhampton. The cottage’s simple rooms contain period furniture, family possessions, and Hardy memorabilia evoking Victorian rural life. Hardy wrote ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’ and ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ in the upstairs bedroom overlooking the garden. The cottage garden has been restored to Victorian style with vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Woodland walks through Hardy’s beloved Thorncombe Wood follow paths he walked daily. The cottage’s isolated rural setting captures the atmosphere that inspired Hardy’s deeply rooted Wessex novels. National Trust guides share insights into Hardy’s early life, his writing, and the landscapes that shaped his literary imagination. The cottage offers intimate connection to one of English literature’s towering figures and the Dorset countryside that defined his work.
Photo by Phil Champion from Geograph, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Hardy’s Cottage
Location
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Gallery images from Geograph Britain and Ireland, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Hover over images to see photographer credits.
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