As featured on Channel 5!
Dorchester, Dorset’s fabulous County Town, was delightfully featured in the new series “Dorset: Country and Coast” on Channel 5 in August 2023. The series explores the rolling countryside, charming seaside towns and dramatic coast of Dorset and is narrated by Alan Titchmarsh.
It is available to watch until 23 July 2028 here.
Featured in the Dorchester episode was the wonderful Old Tea House and Thomas Hardy’s Cottage. There was also an appearance by Dorchester’s current Mayor Cllr Alistair Chisholm. If you would like to visit either of the places featured in the programme find out more about them below.
Dorchester is a bustling and historic town. There are always events happening and there are so many places to visit. More about Dorchester’s Museums, historic attractions, restaurants, shops, hotels and more can all be found on this website.
If you were inspired by the rest of the Dorset: Country and Coast series to visit Dorset then we recommend stay in Dorchester. The town has two train lines (to Bristol and London) and is right in the centre of the county. Making it the perfect base for your Dorset adventure!
Explore Discover Dorchester and plan your trip today!
The Old Tea House
The Old Tea House was built in 1635 and is the oldest freestanding house in the county town! It has been a tea house since 1902 with traditional “old english” decor.
As shown on the programme, the owners are incredibly welcoming and their scones are much loved by customers!
They also off a wide ranging menu with delicious daily specials, soups, tea cakes and much more – not forgetting their famous traditional 3 course Sunday roast dinners.
More info
Hardy's Cottage
Hardy’s Cottage is a beautiful secluded place to visit. The cottage in Higher Bockhapmton, was built by Hardy’s great-grandfather in 1800 and still retains the rustic charm of a quintessential Dorset cob and thatch cottage today.
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 and sweet peas that climb the walls. Catch the cottage on a sunny Summer’s 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.
You can walk to Hardy’s Cottage from Dorchester following this trail – A Walk of Hardy’s Cottage
