A Virtual Tour Of Wessex
Dorset Magazine|May 2020
Tim Laycock, Artistic Director of The New Hardy Players takes us on a literary ramble through the landscapes that inspired Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
A Virtual Tour Of Wessex

There are some heights in Wessex, shaped as if by a kindly hand

For thinking, dreaming, dying on, and at crises when I stand,

Say, on Ingpen beacon eastward, or Wylls-Neck westerly,

I seem where I was before my birth, and after death may be.

So begins Thomas Hardy’s majestic poem, celebrating the solace that he gained from walking on the Dorset hills. Hardy was a great walker and cyclist, and the richly varied landscapes of the county were an endless source of inspiration to him. He loved the local crafts, the folk-life of the working people, the oral culture of the area and the old stories of the village communities.

In later life Hardy greatly enjoyed motoring all over Dorset with his friend Hermann Lea, showing him the houses, farms, churches and lanes that suggested places featured in the Wessex novels. Hardy was, however, always careful to say that they could never definitively be identified!

Even if we can’t get out, we can still enjoy unrivalled descriptions of the varied and beautiful landscapes of the county through Hardy’s novels and poems, and the through the eyes and the actions of his characters. So dig out that old copy of Far From the Madding Crowd or Tess of the D’Urbervilles. If you prefer shorter stories, I would recommend Wessex Scenes and Life’s Little Ironies. Both collections contain superb stories of the curious, comic and tragic goings-on of Wessex folk.

From my own front door, here’s a literary ramble around Dorset visiting in a virtual way just a few of the lovely locations to be found in Hardy’s writing. There are many more to choose from!

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2020-Ausgabe von Dorset Magazine.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2020-Ausgabe von Dorset Magazine.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS DORSET MAGAZINEAlle anzeigen
Fighting Fit At Fifty
Dorset Magazine

Fighting Fit At Fifty

As the country braces for a lockdown winter, seize the moment to become the fittest you can be – after all age is just a number

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November 2020
Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Mapperton Again...
Dorset Magazine

Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Mapperton Again...

Helen Stiles goes behind the scenes at the filming of Rebecca where two historic Dorset manor houses play a starring role as Manderley in this romantic thriller

time-read
9 Minuten  |
November 2020
Painting the Seasons
Dorset Magazine

Painting the Seasons

Nicholas Hely Hutchinson reveals how the changing moods of the Dorset coast and countryside inspire his paintings

time-read
4 Minuten  |
November 2020
THE HEAT IS ON
Dorset Magazine

THE HEAT IS ON

Weymouth 51 are blazing a trail through the chilli world with their handcrafted fermented sauces that offer layers of complex flavours from mild and fruity to super-hot tongue tinglers

time-read
8 Minuten  |
November 2020
Meeting MR FIX IT
Dorset Magazine

Meeting MR FIX IT

Sir Oliver Letwin stepped down as the MP for West Dorset in 2019, but his passion for the county he served for 22 years is as strong as ever

time-read
7 Minuten  |
November 2020
Wildlife Wanderings
Dorset Magazine

Wildlife Wanderings

David Bailey shares some of his favourite Dorset images and stories taken from his new book

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 2020
SOWING THE SEEDS
Dorset Magazine

SOWING THE SEEDS

The average age of a British farmer is 60, which is why the Melplash Agricultural Society is investing in the next generation of Dorset farmers

time-read
10 Minuten  |
November 2020
HAUNTED DORSET
Dorset Magazine

HAUNTED DORSET

From spectral Roman armies and duelling ghosts to a beneficent black dog, Jerry Bird explores some of the spookier goings on around the county

time-read
9 Minuten  |
November 2020
Decorative art
Dorset Magazine

Decorative art

Not simply functional, treat your walls like an extension of your personality

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 2020
Age-old advice
Dorset Magazine

Age-old advice

Just become a grandparent for the first time? Perhaps you need a little guidance, so here are some top tips about how to embrace your new family role

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 2020