After crossing the A37 and seeing St. Edwold's church at Stockwood, I made my way down towards Melbury Bubb. On the way, I met an interesting fellow traveller (pilgrim). This was a young man in his mid-to-late twenties who was heading towards the Hilfield Anglican Friary, Batcombe way. For 20-30 minutes, we chatted about all sorts of things (Tolstoy; religious-seeking; different Christian denominations; Thomas Hardy's agnosticism etc.) until we parted company at (the rather ominously titled) Hell Corner:
During our conversation, my fellow traveller informed me that the sinister 'Cross and Hand' monument from 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' (where Alec D'Urberville, as a roaming kind of Christian preacher, makes Tess promise to not sexually tempt him) was not far away from where he was heading:
And hence, I rather foolishly missed the opportunity to go and see the infamous 'Cross and Hand' (the picture above is from the Internet). However, with the Chetnole train station lying not far from Stockwood and Melbury Bubb, I should have the opportunity to find the 'Cross and Hand' on a future visit to Hardy's Wessex (think that a train going from Dorchester West train station to Yeovil, Bath, Bristol etc., stops off at Chetnole station).
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