Synopsis: A day trip with Mum and sister-in-law Christine to a couple of National Properties in Dorset. Set out reasonably early as some distance to cover. Both visits excellent, and a great day out.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)
The idea I had in mind for this trip out was inspired by the forthcoming launch of a new film version of Far From the Madding Crowd, the story by Thomas Hardy. And also prompted by the news that a new Thomas Hardy Visitor Centre opened by Julian Fellowes. This seemed to me like a nice tie-in, and an excuse for a visit to Dorset. Combined with one other aspect, a wish I’d long had to visit Kingston Lacy (NT). Since there was only a drive of about 30 minutes between Hardy’s Cottage and Kingston Lacy, this seemed like a good combination visit. As it was the Easter school holidays, my sister-in-law Christine, also joined Mum and I for this day trip.
It was going to be a fairly long drive from Exeter for us, so we set off quite early, picking up some picnic food at our local Tesco’s en route. We met our objective of arriving at Hardy’s Cottage just as it was about to open at 11:00 am. The car park, by the visitor’s centre, was quite busy even so. We didn’t stop to linger at the centre, merely made use of the facilities it provides, and then set off on the short walk up to Hardy’s Cottage.
We bought our ticket from the man in the little garden shed at the bottom of the garden. He seemed very content in his little shed (men love their sheds). And then we caught our first sight of Hardy’s Cottage, as it is known. What immediately struck me was how picturesque it appeared in what was a sublime setting. It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic rustic scene.
We entered the rather cramped confines of the cottage and were greeted by a steward. He told us a little of the history of the cottage and Thomas Hardy’s time there. What struck me was how substantial and forcefully minded Thomas’s mother Jemima was. I suspect she played a significant roll in modelling her son Thomas to become the successful author he was later to be.
The stewards parcelled us into small groups to tread the narrow steps upstairs, as the cottage is very small. It was the fact that the cottage is so small and humble (despite now being two homes knocked into one), and that everything in the house was so plain and simple, that struck me so emphatically. Thomas was definitely a man who inspirationally rose up from very humble beginnings.
After our visit to the cottage, we back-tracked to the car park, and searched out a bench at which we could eat our picnic lunch. Although we did find a bench, this was something I feel the National Trust could have catered (sorry for pun) for a rather better. Still, we were well fed when the time came around for part 2 of our day. There is another National Trust property associated with Hardy, Max Gate (NT), in Dorchester, but we, with limited time, chose to make Kingston Lacy (NT) our next port of call.
Having parked our car in the car park at Kingston Lacy we approached the house. The steward at the car park offered to drive us in his electric buggy up to the house, which, since Mum was with us, we decided to take him up on his offer.
There are many interesting and beautiful rooms at Kingston Lacy. One has a board of keys, once the keys to Corfe Castle, and have a lovely story to go with them. Another room has a whopping great organ in it. This photo I’ve included here just because it is a fine example of how lush and elegant many of the rooms are.
The stairway lit by a huge round skylight, a form of oculus (I suppose?), forms an imposing passage to the upper floor, complete with a series of bronze statues. The Tent Room is an amusing oddity, a room that gives the feeling of actually being in a tent. This is very glamorous camping, and probably as close to roughing it as the occupants ever got.
I noticed that there was a hidden secret door in one room at Kingston Lacy. I struggled to think of the name for such a door at the time, and then later it came back to me. It’s what is referred to in architectural terms as a Jib door. And yet jib is a complex word with many meanings. And jib can also mean ‘(Of a person) be unwilling to do or accept something’. Whoops, I went off on one there. But truly is a fascinatingly multi-layered word.
After our house visit Christine and I took a brief walk around the grounds. Mum chose to wait for us on a nearby bench.
We then sought out a picnic bench in the grounds where we stopped briefly for a snack prior to our journey home. It had proved a very successful outing, this Hardy inspired day of ours.
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