One evening, not long before before sundown, using Margaret Marande's 'The Hardy Way' as a guide, I made my way from my campsite, somewhere in between Higher and Lower Bockhampton, to the neighbouring village of West Stafford.
The purpose of my visit to West Stafford was to see St. Andrew's church, which dates back to the 17th century, and is thought to be the location for Tess' marriage to Angel Clare in 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles':
Inside, the church looked dark and mystical:
And yet ominous in view of Tess' tragic fate.
Before reaching West Stafford, I had passed Keeper's Cottage, which, as Margaret Marande informs ('The Hardy Way' page 194), is a setting in Hardy's short story, 'The Waiting Supper', which, as fate would have it, I ended up reading while travelling round county Kerry, Ireland the week after my trip to Hardy's Wessex.
A short while after passing Keeper's Cottage, I passed West Stafford House, Hardy's model for Froom Everard House in 'The Waiting Supper' ('The Hardy Way' page 194):
In West Stafford itself, I had passed the village pub without calling in for a pint, as I had been wary of getting lost in the oncoming darkness:
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