Thomas Hardy Birthday Weekend Walk

In this walk we will explore the buildings used in Hardy’s novels and poetry including ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’, ‘The Withered Arm’ and locations where the writer penned some of his work such as ‘A Changed Man’ in the newly renovated building in High West Street . The walk includes a special preview visit to this unique listed  building by kind permission of owner Antoinette Weller.

We finish off with a promenade through the Borough Gardens; the Victorian pleasure gardens created for the town in 1896, the year that Hardy ended his career as a novelist to concentrate on his poetry. The Borough Gardens has many interesting Victorian features, such as the 16ft high fountain and the elaborate cast-iron clock. The bandstand became an important hub for many of the town’s events, and the recently created Hardy Rose Garden is a living memorial to Dorchester’s most famous son.