Hardy Way

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Summary: The Hardy Way is a long distance walking route within the counties of Dorset and Wiltshire, south-west England. It is a walk in homage to the writer Thomas Hardy and runs through Thomas Hardy's version of Wessex, the region of the West Country of England portrayed in his books such as Tess of the Durbervilles, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Far From the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure and others. It starts at Hardy Cottage in Higher Bockhampton where Hardy was born and finishes at Stinsford churchyard where Hardy's heart lies buried. The Hardy Way is walked via Puddletown, Briantspuddle, Bere Regis, Bloxworth, East Stoke, Wool, West Lulworth, a stretch of Dorset coastline, Kimmeridge, Kingston, Corfe Castle, Wareham and Wareham Forest, East Morden, Sturminster Marshall, Wimborne Minster, Badbury Rings, Witchampton, Wimborne St Giles, Cranborne, Pentridge, Sixpenny Handley, Tollard Royal, Wimborne Chase, Coombe, Shaftesbury, Todber, Marnhull, Sturminster Newton, Hazelbury Bryan, Plush, Buckland Newton, Balcombe Hill, Redford, Melbury Bubb, Melbury Osmond, Melbury Sampford, Beaminster, Bridport, a further stretch of coastline including Burton Beach and Cogden Beach, West Bexington, Abbotsbury, Portesham, Langton Herring, Chesil Beach, Isle of Portland and Portland Bill, Weymouth, Owermoigne, West Stafford and Dorchester.