Enjoy a day’s gentle guided walk through the countryside of Thomas Hardy’s novels in the company of a Registered Blue Badge Tour Guide who will entertain you with literature, history, flora and fauna as well as local anecdote. Wander through the water-meadows of the Vale of the Great Dairies where Tess spent her happiest days. Explore Egdon Heath and visit the thatched cottage on its fringe where Hardy was born. Lunch at Kingston Maurward before arriving at St Michael’s Church, Stinsford to see the Hardy family graves and the exquisite little church with its gallery designed by Thomas Hardy. Crossing the water-meadows once again, we find Max Gate, Hardy’s home for forty years and thence back to central Dorchester.

Walks cost £7.00 per person (minimum number 5 persons). Bring a picnic or buy lunch. Entrance fees to National Trust properties (The Cottage and Max Gate) are not included. Walks begin at 10am and finish at approximately 4 pm, covering about eight miles. You will need to wear boots for the walk and come prepared with waterproofs and a something to drink. For more information please contact Hardy Country on Foot by email or using the contact form.

Other walks covering areas of Dorset where the novels are set can also be offered. For example:

· Portland: the landscape of ‘The Well-Beloved’. Sweeping sea views over Chesil Bank, the Channel and mainland; deserted quarries and stone-built cottages bear witness to the industry of the island, its mysteries, folklore and customs.

· Explore the parkland, meadows and copses of the countryside of ‘The Woodlanders’. Visit villages and churches hardly changed since Hardy’s characters walked through them. Lunch in a charming village pub and soak up the atmosphere and rustic charm of Dorset life.