Hardy’s Cottage is a beautiful secluded place to visit if you are following the Thomas Hardy Trail through Dorset. 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.
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.
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.
The cottage sits next to Thorncombe Woods, owned and managed by Dorset Council. This is an ancient woodland and nature reserve that opens out onto heathland and the beginning of Hardy’s Egdon Heath.
Next to the Thorncombe Wood car park (Dorset Council) you will find the Hardy’s Birthplace Visitor Centre, run by Dorset Council. All admissions to Hardy’s Cottage, including for National Trust members, must be pre-booked online via the website or by phoning the booking line 0344 249 1895.
*Parking charges apply, including National Trust Members.
