Hardy's Landscape

Landscape no. 205846 no. campaigner against animal cruelty. cruelty. animal against campaigner Dorset County Museum. The National Trust is a registered charity charity registered a is Trust National The Museum. County Dorset Cover image by Hardy’s sister, Mary Hardy, by kind permission of of permission kind by Hardy, Mary sister, Hardy’s by image Cover protect all creatures, and he became an active active an became he and creatures, all protect et after use. use. after et fl lea this recycle Please paper. recycled 100% on Printed Hardy’s Hardy’s love of wildlife developed into a desire to to desire a into developed wildlife of love Hardy’s ect and impact on the landscape. Later in life, life, in Later landscape. the on impact and ect ff e important and loved writers. loved and important Hardy was fascinated with wildlife, in particular its its particular in wildlife, with fascinated was Hardy become one of England’s most most England’s of one become through the eyes of a boy who was to to was who boy a of eyes the through Walking through Walking from ‘The Fallow Deer at the Lonely House’ Lonely the at Deer Fallow ‘The from imagine these places as he saw them, them, saw he as places these imagine Fourfooted, tiptoe. tiptoe. Fourfooted, Cottage. Using Hardy’s own words, words, own Hardy’s Using Cottage. Wondering, aglow, Wondering, poems and novels, letters, photographs and architectural drawings. architectural and photographs letters, novels, and poems We do not discern those eyes those discern not do We wander through the gardens of Hardy’s Hardy’s of gardens the through wander Visit the Writers’ Dorset gallery to see Hardy’s manuscripts of of manuscripts Hardy’s see to gallery Dorset Writers’ the Visit Lit by lamps of rosy dyes rosy of lamps by Lit Stop for a moment at Rushy Pond or or Pond Rushy at moment a for Stop ‘Memory of the World’ register of important literary heritage. literary important of register World’ the of ‘Memory Watching in the snow; the in Watching collection at Dorset County Museum is part of the UNESCO UK UK UNESCO the of part is Museum County Dorset at collection We do not discern those eyes those discern not do We in the presentation of Thomas Hardy’s homes. The Thomas Hardy Hardy Thomas The homes. Hardy’s Thomas of presentation the in from Rainbarrows. from The Dorset County Museum is proud to support the National Trust Trust National the support to proud is Museum County Dorset The witnessing an execution in Dorchester Dorchester in execution an witnessing readings, musical events, walks and tours in ‘Wessex’. in tours and walks events, musical readings, with his mother, to the impact of of impact the to mother, his with An annual programme of events includes lectures and meetings, poetry poetry meetings, and lectures includes events of programme annual An memories of walking the Roman Road Road Roman the walking of memories welcomes all who are interested in the life and work of Thomas Hardy. Hardy. Thomas of work and life the in interested are who all welcomes its work to promote and maintain Thomas Hardy’s homes. The society society The homes. Hardy’s Thomas maintain and promote to work its and stanzas of his writing; from from writing; his of stanzas and The Thomas Hardy Society is pleased to support the National Trust in in Trust National the support to pleased is Society Hardy Thomas The mind and translated into the sentences sentences the into translated and mind engrained in the young Thomas Hardy’s Hardy’s Thomas young the in engrained will come across many places that were were that places many across come will Thorncombe Wood and Black Heath, you you Heath, Black and Wood Thorncombe Dorset County Council and the National Trust. Trust. National the and Council County Dorset As you follow the trails around around trails the follow you As We hope you enjoy your visit. your enjoy you hope We Woodland The landscape through Hardy’s eyes Hardy’s Cottage Heathland Rushy Pond Roman Road Here is the ancient floor, Footworn and hollowed and thin, Here was the former door Where the dead feet walked in. But no tall brass-helmeted legionnaire Snakes and efts, Haunts it for me. Uprises there Swarmed in the summer days and nightly bats She sat here in her chair, Would fly about our bedrooms. Heathcroppers A mother’s form upon my ken, On the frigid face of the heath-hemmed pond Smiling into the fire; Lived on the hills, and were our only friends; Guiding my infant steps, as when There shaped the half-grown moon: He who played stood there, So wild it was when we first settled here. We walked that ancient thoroughfare, Winged whiffs from the north with a husky croon Bowing it higher and higher. from ‘Domicilium’ The Roman Road. Blew over and beyond. from ‘The Self-Unseeing’ from ‘The Roman Road’ from ‘At Rushy-Pond’ There was something that Hardy found eerie and Hardy’s great-grandfather built this cottage, and Hardy and his mother often walked the Roman Although at the top of a hill, Rushy Pond’s magical about the heathland. He made it home to Hardy lived here with his parents, siblings and Road to visit his aunt in Puddletown. He recalled permanency in a landscape, where few other his fictional Conjuror Trendle. This character grandmother. In later life, he fondly recalled a one particular time carrying cabbage nets and ponds survived the summer, meant that it was, and represented the old, superstitious ways of the childhood memory of being surrounded by his pulling the nets over his face to scare his aunt remains, a hub of all things Hardy cherished about heath, which persisted within an increasingly family and dancing in the parlour, as his father when they arrived at her house. the heathland; the ponies, snakes and dragonflies. urban and rationalising world. played the fiddle. I went by footpath and by stile, Our house stood quite alone, Beyond where bustle ends and those tall firs From ‘Paying Calls’ - This is the start of a poem by Hardy about the Hardy’s Cottage And beeches were not yet planted nostalgia of retreading well-known paths, and the memories of the people they are associated with. From ‘Domicilium’ - Thought to be his first composed poem, it is a poetic memory of the conversations that Hardy had with his grandmother, as they walked the heathland together. Hardy was always looking over his shoulder to times past. Hardy’s Inspiration Heathlands Visitor Centre Thomas Hardy once said of the delicate details of nature, that he wished to be remembered as a man ‘who used to notice such things’. He was born here in Higher Bockhampton in Hardy’s Cottage, and Rushy Pond described the surrounding heath and woodland as ‘his playground’. It was the inspiration for his imaginary Wessex. Here he created some of England’s best-known literary works and characters. Although he eventually settled in Max Gate, in Car Park Dorchester, many of the sites and sounds around you feature time and again in his poetry and stories. Rainbarrows Roman Road There are few other English writers more associated with their native landscape. Key to map Picnic area Pink route Walking time approximately 15 minutes Blue route Walking time approximately 35 minutes Wheelchair access Accessible route approximately 15 minutes on uneven, sandy track Disabled parking For Blue Badge Holders visiting Hardy’s Cottage, please ring 01305 262 366 or ask To dwellers in a wood Overhead the hollow in the Visitor Centre for more information almost every tree has its stretch of sky was a tent Please note: voice as well as its feature which had the heath for its floor The paths through the wood are uneven and can become From Under the Greenwood Tree – Written at the cottage, Hardy used From Return of the Native – Hardy fictionalised the heathland behind muddy in wet weather. Due to the nature of the landscape, to sit in the deep recess of the bedroom window, listening to the the cottage as Egdon Heath, and set the whole of this novel around it some of the paths have steep inclines and descents. nightingales, as he wrote this novel. and its inhabitants. Please take care in wet weather..

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