Walking Hardy's Dorset

DAY ONE - Arrival in Dorset Arrive by car or transfer from a local station to your accommodation in Dorchester (airport transfers are available but not included as standard). DAY TWO - Egdon Heath and Stinsford 4.5 miles (8 km) "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 - Evershot and Melbury Osmond 5.5 miles (9 km) You start and end your walk today in the village of Evershot (Evershead in Tess of The d'Urbervilles), 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 - Sturminster Newton and Marnhull 7 miles (11.5 km) "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'Urbervilles was born and where Thomas Hardy lived when he wrote The Return of The Native. DAY FIVE - Dorchester "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 - Bere Regis to Puddletown 6 miles (9.5 km) "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 - Bulbarrow to Milton Abbas 5.5 miles (9 km) "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 After breakfast, transfer to a local station or back to your car.