'Discovering Hardy's Wessex' by Anne-Marie Edwards

Like Margaret Marande's 'The Hardy Way: A 19th-Century Pilgrimage', Anne-Marie Edwards' 'Discovering Hardy's Wessex' is fantastic, an absolute must for anybody who enjoys (or is thinking about) exploring Hardy country.

While Margaret Marande's book focuses on walking long distances to see many (Hardy and non-Hardy related) places between prominent Hardy sites (e.g. Higher Bockhampton to Wool; Wool to Wareham; Wareham to Wimborne etc.), Anne-Marie Edwards' book more focuses on many specific Hardy-related places that can be seen in and around the prominent Hardy sites.  In other words, if combined together, the two books offer an enhanced guide to exploring Hardy country.

I have the 1982 edition of 'Discovering Hardy's Wessex'.  I was lucky enough to buy it in a second-hand bookshop in Dorchester, a stone's throw away from the model house that Hardy had in mind for Michael Henchard's residence while the latter was the mayor in 'The Mayor Casterbridge' (this building is now a Barclays Bank, as it was when Anne-Marie Edwards wrote her book).

I'm currently about halfway through 'Discovering Hardy's Wessex' and two of the most eye-opening chapters have been on the time(s) Hardy spent in Cornwall helping to restore the St. Juliot church; meeting his future wife, Emma, at the St. Juliot church rectory; writing 'A Pair of Blue Eyes' etc.  Thanks to these chapters, I now feel confident of travelling to north Cornwall and following in the footsteps of Hardy through Boscastle, St. Juliot, Beeny Cliff etc.

I also really enjoyed Edwards' section on Dorchester, as despite having visited the place twice, I've only really seen the most prominent places of Hardy significance (Maumbury Rings; the model for Michael Henchard's house; the hangman's cottage; the section on Hardy in the museum; the Hardy statue; Max Gate etc.) there, and now I feel more confident of finding less prominent, more secluded sites, especially relating to 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' story, in Dorchester.

Have just started reading the chapter on Sturminster Newton, where the Hardys stayed while 'The Return of the Native' was being written, and this is eye-opening as it gives many details about where Hardy enjoyed going walking from his Riverside Villa residence there.  I'm also looking forward to reading the chapter after this, about the major sites from 'The Trumpet Major', as I'm not familiar with the Dorset terrain of this novel.