Hardy's Wessex: The Solitude

Absolutely loved the sense of solitude and isolation that I sometimes experienced in Thomas Hardy's Wessex whether it was walking through the fields near the river Frome from Dorchester to Stinsford (above) or traipsing along a main road from Puddletown to Athelhampton Hall and only seeing a couple of cars along the way (below):

Hardy's Wessex: Kingston Maurward House

While roughing it somewhere between Stinsford and Higher Bockhampton one night under the stars (below), I couldn't help but notice the impressive building above in the distance, and guessed that it had to be of some Hardy significance.
 

And I wasn't to be disappointed.  Have just read that it is Kingston Maurward House which Thomas Hardy used as the model for Knapwater House in 'Desperate Remedies'.  Coincidentally, at the time of my recent Dorset visit, I was halfway through reading 'Desperate Remedies' and finished it off a couple of weeks later while visiting Ireland.  To be honest, this novel isn't my favourite Hardy piece as there's simply too much intrigue in it, although this does interestingly unfold towards the end of the book.

Have also just read that in the mid-19th century, the young Hardy was educated by an MP's wife from Kingston Maurward House.  Now, the House seems to be the centre of an animal park and famous for beautiful gardens too.  Must give the place a visit when I'm down in Dorchester/Dorset next.

Bury (Lancashire): Little Lever Anglican Church

Was staying at a good friend's house in Bradley Fold a few weeks ago, and while out on a morning walk to a supermarket in Little Lever, this Anglican church caught my eye:

I'm not Anglican but generally like having a look at old Anglican churches, as the architecture is often impressive.  Many years ago, I used to pass this Anglican church on the bus every Sunday while travelling to Bolton train station to catch the train to Preston.  Thus, it was good to see that it was still in such good condition. 

Kerry: Brandon Village Revisited

I first visited Brandon village in 2011 while my mother was dying of cancer.  I'd gone there as my mother's maiden name was Brandon, and there's a kind of mythology in the family that they originate from Brandon village in Kerry.

When revisiting Brandon village a few weeks ago, I again focused on taking scenic shots from around the pier area:

And, of course, looking out to sea:

And catching the craggy coastline:

Yeah, for me, there's something magical about Brandon, I kind of feel it in my genes.

Love the brooding mountain tops across the bay:

Hardy's Wessex: Camping at Higher Bockhampton

Stayed on a campsite in Higher Bockhampton for a few days, it was only 10-15 minutes walk from the Thomas Hardy childhood/young adulthood cottage.

Thankfully, the tent managed to stay up (once during a gale) and never leaked water in once, so I was more than pleased.

Hardy's Wessex: Walking through Lower Bockhampton

Sometimes found myself walking through Lower Bockhampton, between Thomas Hardy's childhood/young adulthood church at Stinsford and his childhood/young adulthood home at Higher Bockhampton:

As can be seen, Lower Bockhampton is a picturesque place, and while strolling through it, I imagined Hardy himself having done this walk many years beforehand.

Hardy's Wessex: Max Gate

Shortly after passing the Trumpet Major pub, I arrived at Max Gate, the place where Thomas Hardy lived from 1885-1928 in deep suburban Dorchester with both his first wife Emma and second wife Florence:

Moreover, Hardy wrote his three great tragic novels 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles'; 'Jude The Obscure'; and 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' at Max Gate.

The pictures below start with one from downstairs, followed by a few from upstairs, and one back downstairs:

Even managed to get a shot of myself in the Hardy bedroom:
 

Nice shots of both Hardy's wives and their clothes below:
  

Even got a shot of the Hardy bathroom:

And then I was back downstairs:

Really enjoyed my visit to Max Gate, had a great chat with one of the ladies working there about Hardy's work, and bought J.B. Bullen's 'Thomas Hardy: The World of His Novels', a book I should've read before setting out for Hardy's Wessex rather than afterwards.

Nice shot of Max Gate from the back garden below:

And before leaving the place, I had to get a shot of the front entrance:

Just found these mobile shots that I took at Max Gate which seem to capture something of the magical atmosphere of the place:

Hardy's Wessex: The Trumpet Major Pub

As I got near to Thomas Hardy's Max Gate home in suburban Dorchester, I passed this aptly named pub.  Read 'The Trumpet Major' many years ago, unfortunately, I can't really remember anything about it now. 

Kerry: Cloghane to Brandon Village

Few shots from our walk from Cloghane to Brandon village which wasn't very far, but still quite scenic.

Thankfully, things were quite well sign-posted down here, so there was little chance of getting lost:

Love the rugged greenery of Ireland:

Bury (Lancashire): Elton Reservoir

While in my hometown Bury recently, I got up really early to walk round Elton Reservoir, as I couldn't exactly remember what the place looked like.

Think the last time I'd seen Elton Reservoir was back in the early 1980s while doing cross country at St. Gabriel's.

So, early this morning, the place looked a lot smaller, but surprisingly beautiful in the early morning light.

Below, there's a nice shot of Elton Reservoir from the 1920s that went round an 'Old Bury' site:

Certainly looked a great place back in those days.

Hardy's Wessex: Dorchester Wetherspoons

During my 5-6 day stay in and around Dorchester, I was really grateful for this place, the Royal Oak Wetherspoons bar.

Most days, I had a veggie burger and chocolate-flavoured real ale which helped me to keep going, moving in and around Dorchester catching the Thomas Hardy sights with a heavy rucksack on my back.

Just really enjoyed eating something decent; having a really good pint; and listening to the locals speaking with Dorset/Wessex accents (this gave me a kind of Hardy atmosphere).

Hardy's Wessex: Bere Regis Church

Went to Bere Regis purely to see the church of St. John the Baptist, Thomas Hardy's model for the 'Kingsbere church' where Tess, her mother and her siblings are forced to sleep outside for a night after her father's death and the family's eviction from their home.

It's also the church where the ancient Turberville family vault lies, the model for Hardy's D'Urberville family vault in 'Tess'.  It's here that Tess is forced to feel how insignificant individuals from the past, whether relatives or not, are, in the face of constantly moving, indifferent, human history.

If I remember correctly, the D'Urberville family vault is also the place (or somewhere else in the church) where Alec springs out from to offer Tess and her family a way out of their poverty through her becoming his mistress.  The paper on the Turberville family vault below is actually the text from this famous scene in 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles':

Think the top right coat of arms below is that of the Turbervilles:

The ground tiles upon entering and exiting the Bere Regis church also looked interesting.

Just read that the church dates back to Norman times.

Hardy's Wessex: Tolpuddle to Bere Regis

After briefly glimpsing Athelhampton Hall, I made my way through the village of Tolpuddle, famous for the Tolpuddle Martyrs often viewed as (some of) the founding fathers of the British trade union movement.
 

Can remember learning about the Tolpuddle Martyrs at St. Gabriel's in Bury, Lancashire in the early 1980s, and was reminded of their story in the Martyrs Museum at Tolpuddle above:  basically, they were shipped off to Australia as convicts; were granted some kind of pardon and returned to Britain after a few years; and then most of them moved on to live in Canada.

My point of interest in Bere Regis was always going to be the church of St. John the Baptist, the model for the church where Tess, her mother and siblings are forced to sleep for a night under the stars in Thomas Hardy's 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles'.

The previous night I'd been forced to sleep under the stars myself, in a chalk field somewhere between Stinsford and Higher Bockhampton, but, fortunately this night, I found softer ground on a campsite a couple of miles just outside Bere Regis, where I was able to get about nine hours of sleep: