Penny and Matt preparing a great dinner in Penny’s apartment, Brewery Square,Dorchester. Matt was over from Holland for a few days. I had two, but we packed lots in.
Our first walk was to Maiden Castle, an ancient hill site – biggest of its kind in G B. The weather was very blustery up top, but not cold.
On returning, via the very impressive Queen’s Avenue, we called in at another ancient site,adjacent to the town – the Maumbury rings – it has a chequered history for such a compact, little site.
That evening we visited a couple of excellent pubs, including the Convivial Rabbit , where all the drought beers and cider are on tap.
Next day, began with a walk around the weekly Wednesday market – just across the road from us and what a feast for the eyes – for once not dominated by textiles, instead a variety of local produce and interesting brick a brac.
Then after coffee in the Shire Hall, seat of the old county court – a place I intend to visit with its history involving such famous events as the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the grim Judge Jefferson – we walked in to Hardy Country.
Dorchester has many links with Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge for one. We walked along the Mill stream, then crossing by the River Frome, we passed through the water meadows. After what seemed longer than 2 1/2 miles and much Blackberry foraging, we came to Thomas Harry’s Cottage, bequeathed by his sister to the National Trust.
I must confess to not having read any Hardy since my schooldays, but after this visit my interest has been rekindled. The setting of the cottage, with the surrounding woodlands is memorable and yet simple, like the lives his family led there and a habitat to which he returned time after time, despite fame and fortune.
The gardens are maintained, too, pretty much as he knew them. The size of the cottage belies how small the rooms are and all as was. I was very taken by his simple writing desk, a gift from his mother.
The bedroom was set for dressing and a recipe book in the kitchen reminded us of the Victorian era and its class expectations.
Apparently Harry’s eldest memory was when he was two years old, awakening in his cot to find a snake cosily asleep on his chest.
The plainness and practicality of every room was evident – the only ” modern” facilities being the dirt water closet and the well. We were encouraged to draw some water from the well, but nobody was keen on the closet.
Adjacent to the garden was a shed which housed the cider press, a drink as popular then as now.
The peacefulness of this place – no surfaced roads nearby – was enticing and we reluctantly left the garden to visit another place, literally, close to his heart.
A 10 minute walk across the fields brought us to where Thomas Hardy’s heart is buried in St. Michael’s churchyard, Stinsford. (Stinsford appears in his novels and poems under the fictional name of Mellstock.) … However, after his death, the authorities at Westminster Abbey suggested he be buried in ‘Poets’ Corner’.
An ancient site, the present building underwent considerable change over the centuries, but it remains as Hardy knew it.
Hardy’s approach to religion was ambivalent. He loved the Bible and knew many passages by heart and also fondly remembered the choirs. But he loved the setting and the place this church had in his family’s life. He was christened there, too.
In 1930, a stained glass window was placed as a memorial to him, with his favourite quotation from 1 Kings 19 enscribed within it.
The call of the pulpit was irresistible and I had to give a brief sermon.
A memorable visit and it has enthused me to read some autobiography of him – his relationships were complex, as this extract shows.
And which novel to begin with? I think it has to be ” Under the Greenward Tree” as its characters and setting closely recall the two settings visited today.
“If we be doomed to marry, we marry; if we be doomed to remain single we do.” “To dwellers in a wood, almost every species of tree has its voice as well as its feature.” “There’s a friendly tie of some sort between music and eating.”
ensuitepilgrim's Blog 
Dear John,
Looking for English-speaking pilgrims’ blogs and sites I have just come across yours.
My name is Blanca, I am a freelance English-Spanish translator from Santiago de Compostela; I also teach Spanish to foreigners and English to Spaniards, here in Santiago. I am organising now an English workshop aimed to adult students who want to improve English where we’ll all cook Galician or Spanish easy recipes and dishes at a very small but cozy cooking school in Santiago (no Spanish speaking at all, and to be held on a Saturday or a Sunday, no dates yet, but all year round)
I am looking for 5 English-speaking volunteers to attend the workshop (held from 2018 to 2019, so don’t worry if you are not here right now). This will be a very entertaining event for the volunteers as I am aware that most pilgrims do not meet people from Santiago at all: at this event they would meet 8-10 “locals”, we are animals in danger of extinction! Tourists do not really get to to interact with us or to know places out of the packed town centre: here, they would get useful tips from me and the participants during their stay in Santiago. It’s a huge opportunity for them to meet “real” Santiagueses (locals from Santiago) or Compostelanos (locasl from Compostela, which is the same as Santiagueses), and to know first hand about our culture and Santiago while at the same time being offered a fantastic chance to learn about our cuisine. At the end of the workshop we’ll all have the dishes there either for lunch or dinner or I’ll provide tuppers in case people prefer to take them home. English-speaking volunteers will mix with locals and after the workshop, who knows if any of the participants, probably some, would like to show them around or to give them a lift to the beach, or going with them for a beer, or better a Galician wine, or for some tapas to one of those bars where we, Santiagueses, go!. That’s up to the social abilities of volunteers! Yes, well all cook and have fun, and ….yummy! my dishes /their dishes!
I myself will be the teacher / cook. I like cooking, and I am not bad at it, my dishes are very traditional in general, I cook exactly as my mum used to; but the main goal for my students and this workshop is not cooking but practising English while we go through different issues of the language or maybe the latest international news or questions related to Way of St. James (I have translated plenty of papers for art specialists and professors of Santiago University)! Or just, and most importantly, SOCIALISING!
A workshop where 10 Spaniards and 5 English-speaking volunteers will be side by side, meeting each other and enjoying the experience and the dishes! Encouraged and conducted by me, a different way of learning and for the volunteers, a unique experience along the WAY.
The volunteers only need to speak English with the participants, no teaching at all, no academic background is required. Well, questions and doubts may arise, but I only need their English speaking!
They will have to come with an open mind, be chatty, lively and ready to meet Spaniards and Santiagueses.
The volunteers are lucky to have English as their mother tongue, I don’t think pilgrims or tourists in general are given an opportunity to really get to know us.
So, I would be very grateful if you could please forward this message to people who may be interested in it or to publicise it on your website or by any other means. If they are planning to come to Santiago, I would need to interview them via skype before their arrival.
This workshop is planned to be held on a fortnight basis, so I need to reach a good number of volunteers.
My contact email is : bfernandez_es@yahoo.es or francalingua@francalingua.com
And skype: francalingua (Santiago de Compostela)
I have my translation website, my facebook page as well as my tailored-made Spanish courses if people need information on me
http://www.francalingua.com
https://www.facebook.com/francalinguablanca/
https://francalingua.wixsite.com/blanca
Thanking you in advance
Best wishes
Blanca Fernández Piñeiro
Hola, I already made my apologies on Facebook 😞