The Thomas Hardy Victorian Fair
THVF2023
Step back in time this summer when Dorchester remembers its Victorian past and celebrates the life and times of the famous writer Thomas Hardy, who was born and lived nearby.
The Thomas Hardy Victorian Fair on Sunday, 4th June 2023 from 11am to 4pm will be a fun and inspiring day out. High East and High West Streets will be closed to traffic for a more authentic experience.
Visitors are welcome to dress up for the occasion and join the “Ragged Victorians” to see Penny Farthing displays, Punch and Judy shows, steam engines, and all things Victoriana, as well as enjoy live music, performances, and dancing in the street.
Dorchester’s exuberant town crier will announce the day’s events as they happen, including the annual wreath-laying procession accompanied by the delightful sound of the town’s bells.
The event celebrates Thomas Hardy’s birthday weekend, when every year, the Thomas Hardy Society and Town Councillors led by the Mayor, form a parade down High West Street to lay a wreath at Thomas Hardy’s statue, returning to lay another one at the William Barnes statue by St Peter’s church.
Other family-friendly activities include storytelling and traditional craft displays in the Victorian Hall at Dorset Museum, Wessex Morris Dancers and a pop-up ceilidh by the town pump. The Nothe Fort Garrison will be at Keep Military Museum and there will be talks and tours of the stunning Victorian architecture.
DRESSING UP IS OPTIONAL … BUT ADDS TO THE FUN!
A huge thanks to our Sponsors:
Sculptures by the Lakes, Dorset Hideaways, Kingston Maurward
Humphries Kirk Solicitors, Grassby Funeral Service, Thomas Hardy Society and Crickmay Stark Architects
A Fun Day Out For All The Family
Time Table
11:00 Wessex Morris Dancers (starting from outside the Corn Exchange)
11:30 New Hardy Players (The Town Pump)
11.45 Punch n Judy
12:00 Wessex Military Band (The Town Pump)
12:30 William Barnes Society Poetry Reading (St Peter’s Church)
13:00 Thomas Hardy Birthday Procession (starting from outside the Corn Exchange)
13:30 New Hardy Players (Outside Shire Hall Museum)
14:00 William Barnes Poetry Reading (St Peter’s Church)
14.00 Punch n Judy
14:15 Purbeck Quire (The Town Pump)
14:45 Dorchester Drama (The Town Pump)
15:00 Tatterdemalion – Pop-up Ceilidh (The Town Pump)
15.30 Punch n Judy
16:00 Closing Ceremony
What else is on?
Dorset Museum (10:00-16:00)
Children free with a paying adult. Child-friendly Victorian activities and Hardy trail.
Victorian Hall, Dorset Museum – FREE ENTRY
Victorian Crafts
- Crystallised Flowers
- Dorset Buttons
- Hardy Quilters
- Kingston Maurward Floristry
- The Handwriting Appreciation Society
- Spinning Wheel
- Stained Glass
- Stratton Lacemakers
- Victorian Scientist
- Wessex Guild of Bookbinders
- West Country Embroiderers
Victorian Fashion Exhibition
A collection of Victorian clothes and undergarments showing the changing fashions and practicalities of what people wore through Hardy’s lifetime, courtesy of Juliet Braidwood, a living historian, specialising in Tudor and Victorian periods.
And Much More ...
Keep Military Museum (10am to 4pm)
Step back in time and visit the town’s original Victorian Barracks! With the only public rooftop view in Dorchester, admire the town’s Victorian architecture from above, with a brand new trail – Let’s Build the Barracks- for the whole family to enjoy.
Meet real life Victorian soldiers from the Nothe Fort Garrison and admire the collection of Victorian era militaria.
Shire Hall Museum
Visit Shire Hall Museum’s historic courtroom for free. Walk in the footsteps of Hardy and explore the courtroom where he served as a magistrate and Justice of the Peace. Also, free interactive activities in the Learning Room. Shire Hall’s shop and café will also be open.
Meet The Great Unwashed – The Ragged Victorians will be outside.
Lectures (Booking Essential – See below)
Tour (No need to book)
14:30 Hardy Statue – Victorian Architecture – Dorchester Civic Society
