Walking Hardy's Dorset

DAY ONE Arrive at your accommodation and settle in. DAY TWO 4.5 miles "Under The Greenwood Tree" - Start the day with a visit to Thomas Hardy's birthplace before taking a four mile stroll across the heath which he would have known so well and ending at Stinsford where his heart lies buried alongside his two wives and parents. DAY THREE 5.5 miles You start and end your walk today in the village of Everhsot (Evershead in Tess of The D'Ubervilles), taking a circular route to include Melbury Osmond (setting for The Woodlanders and where Hardy's mother was born) and passing by magnificent Melbury House. Finish your walk with a pint at the welcoming pub Hardy called The Sow and Acorn. DAY FOUR 7 miles "Tess of The D'Urbervilles" - A stroll around Hardy's Vale of Little Dairies, aka The Blackmore Vale, exploring the area where Tess of the D'Urbevilles was born and where Thomas Hardy lived when he wrote The Return of The Native. DAY FIVE "The Mayor of Casterbridge" - A rest today to visit Max Gate, the home which Hardy built for himself just outside Dorchester (Casterbridge) and explore the county town including the Dorset Museum to see the study which he bequeathed to it. DAY SIX 6 miles "Return of The Native" - A day exploring the vanishing heathlands on which Hardy based his novel and taking in Bere Regis (Kingsbere) to see the tomb of the D'Urbervilles. DAY SEVEN 5.5 miles "Middleton Abbey" - Today's walk starts high on Bulbarrow looking out over The Vale of Little Dairies again before dropping down to the picturesque village of Milton Abbas with a visit to the medieval abbey and the model village of thatched cottages. DAY EIGHT Return home after a hearty breakfast.