Links

The Thomas Hardy Association - www.thethomashardyassociation.org

Founded in 1997 by Professor Rosemarie Morgan to promote the study and appreciation of Hardy’s writings in every corner of the world. This site is strongly recommended to all who are interested in Hardy.

The Arts Society Dorset County - www.theartssocietydorsetcounty.org.uk
The Arts Society was founded in 1968 and was called the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS)) until May 2017 when it changed its name to reflect the broader range of the Arts subjects its members were interested in.

Alliance Of Literary Societies - www.allianceofliterarysocieties.org.uk

Co-operative of organisations working in defence of literary heritage.

Athelhampton House and Gardens -www.athelhampton.co.uk
East of Puddletown, near Dorchester, Dorset. This 15thC house was often visited by Thomas Hardy.

BBC Audiobooks - www.bbcaudiobooks.co.uk
New recordings of Hardy's novels

Bere Regis ('Kingsbere') Village Website - www.bereregis.org
A treasure trove of contemporary and historical information and photographs.

Boscastle, Cornwall - www.boscastlecornwall.org.uk

Campsites in Dorset - http://www.caravansitefinder.co.uk/parks/find/location/486-dorset

Find caravan parks and campsites with Caravan Sitefinder

Dorchester - www.visit-dorchester.co.uk
Detailed information on places to visit, forthcoming attractions, accommodation etc.

The Dorchester Association - www.dorchester-association.co.uk
Founded in 1982, the Dorchester Association for research into local history and archaeology is dedicated to the study and appreciation of local history and archaeology in Dorchester and its surroundings.

Discover Dorchester - www.dorchester-association.co.uk
Dorchester – Thomas Hardy’s Casterbridge, or the Roman town of Durnovaria – is awash with history and sights to explore.

Dorchester Civic Society - www.dorchestercivicsociety.org.uk
We exist to stimulate people’s interest in the town by encouraging high standards of architecture, urban design and planning.

Dorset Area Community Land Trust - www.daclt.org.uk
We are a not-for-profit organisation

Dorset County Council - www.dorset-cc.gov.uk
Detailed information on the County of Dorset including arts events and the Dorchester Library.

Dorset County Museum - www.dorsetcountymuseum.org
The Dorset County Museum traces the natural, archaeological, social, and geological history of Dorset from Prehistory to the present day. The website holds information about the galleries, collections, special exhibitions and events.

Dorset CPRE - www.dorset-cpre.org.uk
Standing up for the Dorset countryside. For a thriving, beautiful countryside that benefits everyone.

Dorset and East Devon Coast - www.jurassiccoast.com
On 13th December 2001 UNESCO World Heritage Committee announced that the Dorset and East Devon Coast is now officially listed as a natural World Heritage Site.

Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) - www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/dorset
The Trust works to preserve and protect the habitat and wildlife of the county.

Edmund Blunden - www.edmundblunden.org
For information on the life, times and work of the 20th Century poet Edmund Blunden

Footscape - www.footscape.co.uk
Footscape self-guided walking holidays on the Jurassic Coast

Harvey's Literary Tours - www.literary-tours.com/

Explore the relationships between the region's authors and the landscapes that inspired them, and how each brings depth, perspective and meaning to the other.

Heart Of Dorset - www.heartofdorset.co.uk

A selection of farm and country holiday accommodation throughout Dorset

Keep Military Museum - www.keepmilitarymuseum.org
The Military Museum Of Devon & Dorset tells the stories of the soldiers and their families who have served in the regiments over the past three hundred years. There are spectacular views of Thomas Hardy’s ‘Casterbridge’ and surrounding area from the battlements.

Kitty's photostore - http://picasaweb.google.com.hk/beyondriver/AWeekInDorchester

National Trust - www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Hardy’s Cottage
Max Gate
Thomas Hardy was born at Hardy’s Cottage, Bockhampton in June 1840.
He lived at Max Gate from 1885 until his death in 1928.

Isle Of Portland Pictures - www.isleofportlandpictures.org.uk/Surnames/Stopes

Pictures of Thomas Hardy visiting Marie Stopes, the Family Planning pioneer, at her lighthouse home on Portland, Dorset. Contact: Geoff Kirby

Oxford World’s Classics - www.oup-usa.org/owc/onlineresources.html

Online resources, an excellent guide and search engine for Thomas Hardy.

Poetry Book Society
Contact: James Knapton, Membership & Sales Officer
Fourth Floor, 2 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RA Tel: 0207833 9247

UK Railways On The Net - www.rail.co.uk/
Details of train services.

The Royal Society of Literature

Founded by King George IV in 1820 to 'reward literary merit and excite literary talent' the RSL offers a programme of monthly events including lectures, debates and poetry readings. For further information visit www.rslit.org

Salisbury Civic Society - www.salisburycivicsociety.org.uk
The Salisbury Civic Society, founded in 1960, works to safeguard the historic buildings and landscape setting underpinning the area’s unique character

Society of Dorset Men - www.societyofdorsetmen.co.uk
The Society of Dorset Men stands today in good heart and with much the same purpose as the founders laid down in 1904.

Thomas Hardy Explorer - www.thomas-hardy-explorer.co.uk

Alistair Chisholm is an experienced and very entertaining tour guide who will help you get the most out of your visit.

The Powys Society - http://www.powys-society.org/

The Victorian Literary Society - http://victorian.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/concordance/hardy
Hyper-concordance - excellent resource for Hardy students.

Victorian Web - www.victorianweb.org

Waterstone Books - www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/home.do
Staff at the Dorchester store are an eclectic bunch at varying stages of evolution and have a wide range of interests and abilities. Someone somewhere will know the answer to your question and eagerly lead you to the excellent range of Thomas Hardy’s works.

Wessex Discovery Tours - www.wessexdiscoverytours.co.uk

Personally-guided tours for small groups in beautiful Wessex. Visit the locations that feature in Thomas Hardy's life and works amid the rolling Dorset countryside.

West Dorset Tourism - www.westdorset.com
West Dorset is the heart of Thomas Hardy’s ‘Wessex’. Browse this site for details of Tourist Information Centres, coast and countryside and the towns of Dorchester, Sherborne, Bridport, Beaminster and Lyme Regis.

Weymouth & Portland - www.weymouth.gov.uk
Details of services and information for Weymouth and Portland.

Weymouth Civic Society - www.weymouthcivicsociety.org
Founded in 1944, Weymouth Civic Society’s role is to enhance civic life for residents of Weymouth and Portland, as well as surrounding areas.

William Barnes Society - www.williambarnessociety.org.uk
William Barnes (1801 – 1886) was born in Bagber, North Dorset. He was a poet who wrote mainly in the Dorset dialect but also in Standard English. He taught himself 60 languages, was a competent engraver, antiquary, linguist and musician, playing the flute, violin and piano. He was a schoolmaster but later registered as a ten year’s man with St John’s College, Cambridge, he was priested in 1848. Barnes died at Winterborne Came and is buried in the churchyard there. The Society promotes the enjoyment of the poems of William Barnes and knowledge of the man himself and his times. They aim to nurture the dialect and encourage reading. They hold events which include talks, members’ evenings when members read poems both in dialect and Standard English, musical entertainment drawing on Dorset’s rich folk and cultural traditions, and an annual service of remembrance. They produce a bi-annual newsletter which contains articles and information on publications and research related to William Barnes.

Winning Writers - http://www.winningwriters.com/
Finds and creates resources for poets and writers

In the Footsteps of Thomas Hardy: Heart of Hardy's Dorset - http://www.highpointholidays.co.uk/self-guided-walking-holidays/dorset-thomas-hardy.asp

Highpoint Holidays is a small family run independent tour operator specialising in walking holidays in the UK and France. Their walking holiday 'In the Footsteps of Thomas Hardy' is highly recommended!

Society calendar

Upcoming events

2025/2026 THS Dates for your diary

From 05/04/2025 until 01/08/2026
Starts 11:00 until 18:00

Professor Roger Ebbatson Public Lecture

On 07/05/2025
Starts 15:00 until 18:30

Launch Event: 10 Lovers, 50 Poems

On 09/05/2025
Starts 17:30 until 19:30

Paula Byrne Lecture: Hardy Women: Mother, Sisters, Wives, Muses

On 30/05/2025
Starts 18:00 until 19:00