Thomas Hardy's Dorset

8 Days & 7 Nights 4.5 Read 6 reviews

Discover the quintessentially English landscapes of Thomas Hardy’s Dorset.
The chalk downs of Cranborne Chase, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Walk the Thomas Hardy Trail to Higher Bockhampton, his birthplace.
Historic and picture postcard hilltop town of Shaftesbury.
Overnight stays in charismatic and charming local inns and guest houses.

Explore the rural idyll of Thomas Hardy’s Dorset staying in charming and characterful inns and guesthouses. These are the classic English landscapes of Hardy’s “Wessex” which appeared throughout his novels and gave him inspiration. Picture yourself walking through varied countryside of sweeping down lands, green and rolling hills, pretty stone villages and bluebell bedecked woodlands. Visit places associated with Hardy, such as Higher Bockhampton, where he was born, and Shaftesbury, the remarkable hill top town that he referred to as “Shaston” in his novels. Follow trails to the ancient giant naked chalk figure of Cerne Abbas, up to Win Green, the highest point in Cranborne Chase, with views as far as Glastonbury Tor, and along the spectacular shoreline near the harbour town of Weymouth.

What To Expect

Travel restrictions and resources, to and from any destination

This tour offers the chance to walk the rustic and idyllic landscapes of Dorset whilst staying in delightful guest houses and inns in interesting and historical towns. This self-guided holiday will appeal to fans of Thomas Hardy’s novels but also to those who want to be immersed in quintessential English countryside with hidden villages and cosy pubs.

Tour Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Off the Beaten Track

Activity Level & Terrain

This tour is graded as easy to moderate. You will be walking through a diverse variety of landscapes; down lands, heaths, wooded, coastal and riverside trails, and through farmland. Some of the time you will be walking on named trails, such as the Wessex Ridgeway, Jubilee Trail, Hardy Trail and the South West Coast Path. But you will also be walking on unofficial trails and so you will need to be vigilant. You will need to have good physical fitness to fully enjoy this tour as, at times, there are some elevation gains and losses to negotiate.

Navigation

When walking on “official trails” it will be quite well way marked and relatively easy to follow. However, you will also be walking on trails through countryside that are either not waymarked at all or intermittently. Therefore you will need to be vigilant and follow your detailed routes notes. GPS data will be provided for you via the Macs Adventure App. Further information will be provided upon receipt of your booking.

Accommodations

On this tour you will stay in charming small hotels, guest houses and inns, centrally located in historic towns.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable.

We also welcome solo walkers on this tour, again a supplement is payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Most of your accommodations will be more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or in nearby pubs or restaurants.

Included

7 Nights accommodation in superior guest houses inns
7 Breakfasts
Luggage transfers
People transfers where mentioned
Detailed information pack, route notes and maps
24/7 telephone support from our UK office

Excluded

Travel insurance (required)
Travel to Gillingham
Travel from Dorchester
Train fare Weymouth to Dorchester
Lunches & Dinners
Drinks and snacks
Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
Personal equipment

Extras

Additional nights before, during or after the walk
Private transfers

When To Go

You can start your Thomas Hardy's Dorset tour anytime between March and October. You can start your on any day of the week during the season.

We offer this tour in the spring, summer and autumn. The climate in spring and autumn is mild with some great sunny days mixed with cooler and wetter weather. Advantages in the spring are the beautiful spring flowers in bloom. Temperatures will probably be at their best in the summer and in the Autumn/Fall it there will be nice colours and sun-warmed heaths.

Getting to the Start

From Gillingham Train Station to Shaftesbury there is an included transfer to your hotel. Gillingham, a town which is 15 minutes away from Shaftesbury, is on the main train line from London. It is a 2 hours direct train service. Therefore you can fly into any of the London Airports. For comprehensive information please visit the National Rail or Trainline websites.

Getting from the End

The closest airport to Dorchester is Southampton Airport, which has flights from Glasgow, Paris and Manchester, etc. There are hourly direct trains from Southampton Airport Parkway Station to Dorchester South Train Station. There is also a direct train line service from London, taking approx. 3H. There are two train stations in Dorchester, West and South, but the majority of trains from London come into Dorchester West.

Visit the National Rail and Trainline websites for more information.

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

General Information

The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.

Equipment

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example. proper rain gear, sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has detailed advice and a kit list on what to take.This includes good waterproof gear, walking shoes/boots, and lots of other useful bits and bobs.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How far in advance do I need to book?

How fit do I need to be?

How do the baggage transfers work?

What equipment do I need?

When is the best time of year?

What happens if I can’t walk a stage?

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Shaftesbury and overnight Day 2 Shaftesbury Loop via Wessex Ridgeway 9 miles / 14.5 km Day 3 Transfer to Cranborne Chase, walk to Shaftesbury via Win Green Viewpoint 9 miles / 14.5 km

Cranborn Chase is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and located just over the border into the county of Wiltshire. This morning a short transfer brings you to Tollard Royal, a village central within these glorious landscapes. From here follow the Wessex Ridgeway Trail north.

En route climb up to Win Green Hill which is the highest point in Cranborne Chase and provides panoramic views from the Isle of Wight and Purbeck Hills to Blackmore Vale and Salisbury Plain. Win Green is crowned by beech trees growing on a Bronze Age bowl barrow and the Ox-drove links the countryside of Thomas Hardys novels with Salisbury. This was a long distance droving route along which cattle were herded from Devon and Somerset to the Hampshire ports.

Overnight Shaftesbury

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

The Grosvenor Arms | Inn

You will be warmly welcomed at The Grosvenor Arms, which has been an inn since medieval times and is located in the centre of Shaftesbury. There are 16 comfortable rooms with traditional, yet stylish decor in which you can relax. Their bar is warm and wood-panelled. Pull up a cosy leather armchair by the wood-burner, or when the weather is fine sit by the fountain in the honeyed stone courtyard. They serve snacks straight from the kitchen. Or you can tuck into the full restaurant menu. They have a good wine list, brilliant ales, a fine gin selection and bar staff that can make a great Martini or perfect Bloody Mary. Delicious coffee too, fresh juices, pastries and a daily selection of cakes.

The Chalet | Bed and breakfast

The Chalet Bed and Breakfast is situated on the edge of Shaftesbury – a 5 minute walk from the town centre, which is an ancient picturesque Saxon Hilltop town. The Chalet provides free parking for our guests and all 3 of the en-suite bedrooms are modern, comfortable and individually designed with matching fabrics. Every room is provided with:

Bath and shower

Luxury bath and hand towels

Digital TV with Freeview/DVD

Free Wi-Fi

Comfortable seats for reading and relaxing during your stay

Tea and coffee making facilities

Day 4 Transfer to Cerne Abbas Giant, explore then walk to Dorchester 8 miles / 12.9 km

After a hearty breakfast a transfer brings you to the Cerne Abbas Giant, an ancient naked figure carved into the chalk hillside. Standing at 180ft tall, this is Britains largest chalk hill figure. Local folklore has long held it to be an aid to fertility. Spend time exploring here before wandering through the lovely village of Cerne Abbas, which grew around its Benedictine Abbey (AD 987).

From Cerne Abbas head south, mostly walking close to the Cerne River and then crossing the Frome River before arriving into the centre of Dorchester.

Overnight Dorchester

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

The Casterbridge | Guest House

Conveniently located in the centre of Dorchester, this handsome wisteria clad Georgian House is a charming place to stay with free Wifi, a comfortable and relaxed ambience and superb breakfasts. A generous breakfast can be taken in the dining room or conservatory, choosing from a selection of healthy fresh fruits, yogurts, porridge, mixed grill and all the traditional favourites. Alternatively, homemade marmalade, croissants, muffins and assorted juices can afford a leisurely start from the privacy of your room. Vegetarian options are available and with a little notice most dietary requests can be met. The comfortable drawing room provides seclusion and there is a wealth of local literature in their residents' library. Their staff are available throughout the day to ensure a plentiful supply of freshly brewed tea or coffee and biscuits. Information on nearby restaurants, pubs and takeaways can be found with a selection of menus in their bar and they are happy to make reservations on your behalf.

Aquila Heights | Guest House

Aquila Heights is a friendly and comfortable guest house offering quality B&B accommodation in Dorchester. The south-facing Edwardian house has 6 individual light and airy bedrooms offering modern facilities and original period character. The accommodation offers free off-road parking, free high-speed fibre WiFi. and Freeview TV. The beds are extra length for additional comfort with quality bedding. Hospitality trays can be found in each room and the breakfast is a sumptuous affair with local Dorset ingredients cooked to order. There are also drying facilities. Derek and Wendy will provide a warm Dorset welcome to ensure that you enjoy your stay in this splendid property.

Wessex Royale Hotel | Hotel

Centrally located in the heart of Dorchester, Best Western Wessex Royale Hotel offers Georgian gorgeousness aplenty close to the Jurassic Coast - standing proudly as an old coaching inn that was built in 1756 and effortlessly transformed into modern-day accommodation. The classically designed rooms and excellent central location make the hotel ideal for a relaxing break, with our bedrooms oozing unique charm and traditional character...not to mention supremely comfortable furnishings to help you feel wonderfully rested in the capital of Dorset. Dorchester is the capital town of Dorset and a brilliantly central location for exploring the best this county has to offer. The hotel's town centre location means a browse of the high street shops and local museums is a short stroll away and historic natural sights such as the Jurassic Coast is only a short distance away.

Day 5 Free day in Dorchester

Dorchester is a bustling market town and also Hardy’s fictional “Casterbridge”. Recommended is the Dorset County Museum, which has a comprehensive Hardy Exhibition and includes a reconstruction of Hardys study. Also explore Max Gate, now a National Trust property and Hardy’s sophisticated town house.

There are also many other intriguing sights to see here, such as the Town Pump, Borough Gardens or the excavations of a Roman Town House.

Overnight Dorchester

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

The Casterbridge | Guest House

Aquila Heights | Guest House

Wessex Royale Hotel | Hotel

Day 6 Transfer to Bere Regis, walk to Dorchester via the Hardy Trail 13 miles / 20.9 km

Today walk in Thomas Hardy’s footsteps. A short transfer brings you to Bere Regis where you link up with the Hardy Trail which takes in towns and villages from his stories, and the green and pleasant landscape of the county of Dorset, so beautifully portrayed in his written word.

In the village of Higher Bockhampton is Hardy’s Cottage, where he was born in 1840. A cob and thatch house built by his grandfather, it was here where he wrote some of his early short stories, poetries and novels, such as “Far from the Madding Crowd”. After this visit divert off the Hardy Trail and cross the River Frome before arriving back in Dorchester.

Walk: 13 miles (with shorter options available)

Overnight Dorchester

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

The Casterbridge | Guest House

Aquila Heights | Guest House

Wessex Royale Hotel | Hotel

Day 7 Walk to Weymouth via Jubilee Trail, South Dorset Ridgeway and South West Coast Path 13 miles / 20.9 km

Walk out of Dorchester straight from your hotel and link up with the Jubilee Trail which brings you though quiet villages, passing rural churches and offering extensive views of rolling downs and secret valleys which make Dorset so special. Then walk for a while along the South Dorset Ridgeway and en route view the Osmington White Horse, the only chalk hill figure in England that has both a horse and a rider.

Continue along the beautiful coast line into the bustling and immense harbour of Weymouth, where Hardy lived and worked. The train back to Dorchester takes only 15 minutes, so feel free to spend the evening here if you wish.

Overnight Dorchester

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

The Casterbridge | Guest House

Aquila Heights | Guest House

Junction Hotel | Hotel

The Junction Hotel is a traditional six bedroom coaching inn, located in the heart of this traditional market town on Great Western Road. Dorchester is an historic market town best known for its links with Thomas Hardy and his novel 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' and you can enjoy the ambience and atmosphere of Dorchester itself with its famous market every Wednesday. The heart and soul of the hotel remains the pub itself and there is plenty of opportunity to find a cosy corner in our traditional bar.

Day 8 Onward Travel