National Trust - Hardy's Cottage — Attraction in Stinsford

I had an amazing visit to Thomas Hardy’s childhood home. It's set in beautiful countryside and not only reveals what life would have been like for the young Thomas Hardy, but it also perfectly captures Dorset rural life at that time.

I went in early October, but the country garden was still breathtaking. Simply beautiful!

The cottage itself has a chocolate box quality and would appeal to any visitor, even those unfamiliar with the famous author and poet.

We were expertly guided around both the house and gardens and the tour was not only incredibly interesting and informative, but our guide was so generous in sharing her obvious love of it all.

We entered the cottage through a later-built front door and turned left into the main living area. The guide welcomed us to sit for a moment while she explained the home’s history in such wonderful detail. As I sat listening, she mentioned that Hardy often recalled memories of living here in his later poetry and added that where I sat in the corner, there had been a door.

The slabs below me looked worn and suggested that generations of feet had passed through that space; each one wearing the Purbeck stone a little more.

In front of me was the inglenook fireplace around which Hardy's family would have gathered. The guide explained that his mother would have gazed into the fire whilst his father played the violin.

At the end of the visit I asked the guide which poem specifically described that space and she kindly recited it for us. In the poem, Hardy recalls a moment in time and it all made sense.

The poem teaches us that we take for granted moments in life and only, upon reflection, realise how important they were.

This is the poem:

The Self-Unseeing

Here is the ancient floor,

Footworn and hollowed and thin,

Here was the former door

Where the dead feet walked in.

She sat here in her chair,

Smiling into the fire;

He who played stood there,

Bowing it higher and higher.

Childlike, I danced in a dream;

Blessings emblazoned that day;

Everything glowed with a gleam;

Yet we were looking away!

'Looking away' says it all. We don't realise how precious those moments are, until they're gone …

A wonderfully interesting and thought...

Thomas Harry's cottage is where he grew up, and has a beautifully photogenic exterior, recreated interior, and the guided tour helps you understand more about where he grew up.

Tours have to be prebooked given the cottage's size, and lasts about 30-40 minutes between the garden, and 6 rooms inside. The items inside are not original, but does give a flavour for what it would've been like. The volunteers gave info about the family he was born into, which rooms he occupied, and how this area influenced his writings. I wish there was a little more signage/written info, but still very interesting.

It does have slightly uneven (original) flooring and fairly low ceilings where 5'10" folks were ducking through doorways, so taller folks may wish to be prepared.

Parking - The parking lot is near the birthplace visitors Centre and coin only, though if you go inside you can pay by card for the (currently) £1 per hour. Its then a 10-15 minute walk, either via the pink wooded/slightly hilly walk, or flat red walk that starts just after the visitors Centre.

Toilets - There are none at the cottage, but the Visitor Centre...

The house and garden itself is pretty. However, the length of the tour needs a serious overhaul. It is almost unbearably long and full of irrelevant or useless information and details, without much relating to Thomas Hardy as an actual author. Our tour was nearing on 45 minutes and we actually told our guide we had to go because we were getting so restless, and he didn't seem close to ending.

There was no time to actually look around the very small cottage and take in the atmosphere without being talked at. The information given could easily be condensed into 20 minutes, and keep it to a biography about Thomas Hardy and some interesting facts about the house or his life. Most of the information on this tour was very dull.

As a photographer, it is also a nightmare to try and get some decent shots of the cottage because the tours have a 30 minute talk right outside the front door in the garden. It's ludicrous. I'm very disappointed...