Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Athelhampton House & Gardens HISTORIC SITE This is one of southern
England's great medieval houses, a manor whose earliest rooms date from the reign
of King Edward IV, and whose site matches one of King Athelstan's 10th-century
palaces. The wood-paneled Great Hall is particularly resonant of Athelhampton's
Tudor provenance. The rest is packed with furniture from just about every period
since: It feels like a lived-in film set, and indeed served that role for the 2009 movie
From Time to Time . Thomas Hardy was a frequent visitor, and set his short story “The
Waiting Supper” here.
The gardens are even more inspiring. Laid out in 1891, they are full of vistas,
and their beauty is enhanced by the River Piddle flowing alongside. You'll see
tulips and magnolias, roses, and lilies, the famous topiary pyramids, and also a
15th-century dovecote.
Athelhampton, nr. Puddletown. &   01305/848363. www.athelhampton.co.uk. Admission £9.25 adults,
£8.75 seniors, free for children 15 and under. Mar-Oct Sun-Thurs 10:30am-4:30pm; Nov-Feb Sun 11am-
dusk. Take the Dorchester-Bournemouth Rd. (A35) east of Dorchester for 5 miles then follow signs.
Dorset County Museum MUSEUM Dorchester's skillfully curated museum
is the place to aquaint yourself with Dorset history and archeology, as well as the lives
and works of notable local writers like J. Meade Falkner, author of smuggling tale
Moonfleet (1898), and poet William Barnes (1801-86). There's also a gallery devoted
to memorabilia from Thomas Hardy's life, including a re-creation of the study at his
Dorchester home, and an archeological gallery with displays and finds from Maiden
Castle (see above). The major news of 2011 was the arrival of a fossilized giant plio-
saur skull, found in Weymouth Bay.
High West St. (next to St. Peter's Church). &   01305/262735. www.dorsetcountymuseum.org. Admis-
sion £6.50 adults, £5 seniors and students, free for 2 accompanied children 5-15, additional children £2,
free for children 4 and under. Apr-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Nov-Mar Mon-Sat 10am-4pm.
Hardy's Cottage HISTORIC HOME Thomas Hardy was born in this
thatched cottage on the fringe of Thorncombe Wood, Higher Bockhampton, in 1840.
The home where he later wrote Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), and its lovely
cottage garden are a National Trust property, and they're open to the public. Unless
you're a real Hardy geek, there's not a great deal to see, but the pleasant setting and
adjacent woodland offer a chance to take a stroll and perhaps spot badgers, deer, and
species of indigenous birds. Approach the cottage on foot—it's a 10-minute walk after
parking your vehicle in the space provided in the woods. Alternatively, ask at Dorches-
ter's tourist office (see above) for a free self-guided 3-mile walk from the town to
Hardy's Cottage, via water meadows and ancient woodland.
Higher Bockhampton (3 miles northeast of Dorchester and 1 2 mile south of Blandford Rd./A35).
&   01305/262366. www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Admission £4. Mar 14-Oct Thurs-Mon 11am-5pm. Closed
Nov-Mar 13.
Where to Eat & Stay
The best spot in the town itself for afternoon tea, a lunchtime light bite, or a selection
of changing daily hot specials is the Horse with the Red Umbrella, 10 High West
St. ( &   01305/262019 ). For a good pint of Dorset ale, stop in at the Blue Raddle,
9 Church St. ( &   01305/267762; www.theblueraddle.co.uk). Children 13 and under
are not admitted.
Summer Lodge This sophisticated Relais & Châteaux country-house
hotel, located 15 miles north of Dorchester in the midst of rural Dorset, prides itself
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