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The Twenty-Seventh International Thomas Hardy Festival and Conference 2026
CHANGE OF VENUE - The conference will take place at The Dorford Centre
TICKET PRICES
Full Conference Ticket - THS Member - £250
Full Conference Ticket - Non-Member - £300
Full Conference Ticket - THS Student Member - £75
Conference Day Ticket - THS Member - £50 (excluding Saturday)
Conference Day Ticket - Non-Member - £60 (excluding Saturday)
Conference Day Ticket - THS Student Member - £20 (excluding Saturday)
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PROGRAMME
Saturday 25th July
From 12 noon - Registration at The Dorford Centre
1.30pm – Roman Casterbridge
Walk around Roman Dorchester with County Archaeologist, Steve Wallis and Mark Chutter
6.30pm – Welcome Dinner, Thomas Hardye School, Dorchester
8.00pm – Opening Speaker: Paula Byrne
Best-selling author talking about her book, Hardy Women: Mother, Sisters, Wives, Muses
9.00pm – The Melplash Band: Tess’s Sisters: Songs of the Working Women of Hardy’s Wessex
Sunday, 26th July
8.30am – Coach trip to Oxford, led by Tony Fincham*
Exploring Jude's Christminster and including a visit to Fawley and the Brown House
10.30am – Wey Valley Walk led by Byron Silver and Mark North*
3.00pm – Poetry in the Casterbridge Room, King’s Arms
6.00pm – Evensong, St Michael’s Church, Stinsford
7.15pm – The Hardy Annuals, St Michael’s Church, Stinsford
Monday, 27th July
9.30am – Keynote: Richard Franklin
11.00am – Call for Papers 1 and 2
1.30pm – Coombe Keynes to Lulworth Walk, led by Lucy Boyle Brown*
1.30pm – Trumpet Major Tour, led by Alban O’Brien*
Tour of landmarks featured in The Trumpet Major
3.00pm – The Hardy Archive, Dorset History Centre
7.00pm – Trumpet Major Performance*
Tim Laycock and friends with readings, music and dance
Tuesday, 28th July
9.30am – Keynote: Mark Ford
11.00am – Call for Papers 3 and 4
1.30pm – Hardy & Archaeology, talk by Chris Copson, including a Dorset cream tea, Came Down Golf Club*
Included in the CBA Festival of Archaeology 2026
1.30pm – Hardy's Dorset Gallery, Dorset Museum, tour led by Alban O’Brien*
3.00pm – The Mayor of Casterbridge Walk*
5.30pm – The Withered Arm, performed by Wey Valley Academy
Promenade performance starting at the Roman Town House
7.00pm – Hardy Quiz and Buffet, The Old Tea House*
Wednesday, 29th July
9.30am – Keynote: Jackie Walker
11.00am – Call for Papers 5 and 6
1.30pm – Wolfeton House Walk, led by Mark Chutter*
1.30pm – The Fiddler of the Reels – A Musical Walk led by Tony Fincham*
Accompanied by Ruth Thompson & Cath McMillan
4.00pm – Poetry Workshop with Finn Horton
Exploring the visibility of Hardy's life in his poetry
7.00pm – In Harmony with Hardy, The Corn Exchange, Dorchester
An evening of readings, songs, and piano music performed by James Graham
Thursday, 30th July
9.30am – Keynote: Roger Ebbatson
11.00am – Call for Papers 7 and 8
1.30pm – Hardy’s Cottage and Thorncombe Woods walk, led by Alban O’Brien*
1.30pm – Isle of Slingers Tour, led by Tony Fincham*
A walking tour of Portland followed by an exploration of Tout Quarry, led by sculptor Hannah Sofaer
4.00pm – Common Reader Seminar
7.00pm – The Well Beloved, Wessex Dramas Project
Screening of the award-winning, locally produced film in the Casterbridge Room, The King’s Arms
8.00pm – The Hand of Ethelberta, performance by The New Hardy Players
Friday, 31st July
9.30am – Keynote: Trish Ferguson
11.00am – Call for Papers 9 and 10
1.30pm – Tour of Sherborne, led by Mark Damon Chutter*
Exploring Hardy’s Sherton Abbas
1.30pm – Max Gate house and gardens tour, with performance by The New Hardy Players*
3.00pm – Creative Writing Workshop with Lucy Boyle Brown at Max Gate
To commemorate Virgina Woolf’s visit to the Hardys at Max Gate on July 25th 1926
7.00pm - Farewell Barn Dance and Buffet at Brownsword Hall
Saturday, 1st August
9.30am – Closing Speaker (tbc)
11am – THS AGM
12pm – End of Conference
*Not included in the Full Conference Ticket
Bookings for the additional activities (walks/tours/performances) are not currently available - Keep checking back
The Dorford Centre is a contemporary, modern and extensive conference centre situated near the south coast in the centre of Dorchester, Dorset. The Centre is fully disability accessible. The centre is located opposite the Top 'O' Town car park where daily parking rates apply.
We hope you can join us
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