Hardy's Cottage at Higher Bockhampton

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First a poem in relation to his childhood and his deep connection with nature ...

Childhood Among the Ferns

I sat one sprinkling day upon the lea,
Where tall-stemmed ferns spread out luxuriantly,
And nothing but those tall ferns sheltered me.

The rain gained strength, and damped each lopping frond,
Ran down their stalks beside me and beyond,
And shaped slow-creeping rivulets as I conned,

With pride, my spray-proofed house. And though anon
Some drops pierced its green rafters, I sat on,
Making pretence I was not rained upon.

The sun then burst, and brought forth a sweet breath
From the limp ferns as they dried underneath:
I said: 'I could live on here thus till death;'

And queried in the green rays as I sate:
'Why should I have to grow to man's estate,
And this afar-noises World perambulate?'

Thomas Hardy

The following are images of Hardy's cottage at Higher Bockhampton, Dorset the cottage where he was born (a National Trust Property). The photos were taken in August 2012 on a cloudy drizzling summer day ...

 The Approach through woodland

 From the garden

Hardy's Bedroom was the front top right window

In this room he wrote 'Far From the Madding Crowd'

A pedigree chart is displayed on his bedroom wall