Dorchester - Thomas Hardy Circular

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Lowland and Hill Walks
Jan 20
2018

17 people attending

8 places left

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9.5 MilesApprox 6 hours

Join us for a lovely circular walk from Dorchester taking us through the historic village of Stinsford, where Thomas Hardy's heart is buried. Across to the cottage he was born in, then a leisurely walk through Puddletown forest and back along the River Frome.

The area around Dorchester was settled in prehistoric times. When the Romans arrived in Britain, they established a garrison here after defeating the Durotriges tribe and called the settlement that grew up nearby Durnovaria. The Romans built an aqueduct to supply water and an amphitheatre on an ancient British earthwork. After the departure of the Romans, the town at first lost significance, but later became an important commercial and political centre. It was the site of the "Bloody Assizes" presided over by Judge Jeffreys after the Monmouth Rebellion, and later the trial of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. It was the home of Thomas Hardy and of William Barnes and featured heavily in the Thomas Hardy novels as 'Casterbridge'. It is still a busy market town and the county town of Dorset.

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