Puddletown, Dorset

This is the "Weatherbury" of Hardy's Wessex.
It figures prominently in Far From the Madding Crowd

Hardy was extremely familiar with Puddletown. It was only a modest walk (for those days)
across the heath from the Bockhampton cottage, and as a youth he spent much time there
visiting the many aunts, uncles, and cousins from both sides of the family who lived there.

The center of old Puddletown. Our view is from what was the market square, looking east. The road to the right leads to St. Mary's church, which is situated just to the right of the white car in the distance.

Read about the Puddletown of Hardy's youth

St. Mary's church. The oldest parts date from about 1200, with the greater part about 1400. It was within the porch seen above that Sergeant Troy spent a rainy night after the funeral of Fanny Robin in the churchyard. The church also is featured during the Harvest Festival, and the wedding of Gabrial Oak and Bathsheba. (Far From the Madding Crowd) To enter St. Mary's is to enter a time warp -- a perfect 17th century interior, complete with all its dark stained woodwork, box pews (with hat pegs), and a west gallery dated 1635. Sir Frederick Treves in his book on Dorset wrote, "No church can compare with this in human interest and nowhere can one come into closer contact with the Dorset of the past."

Looking down at you from the magnificent west gallery erected in 1635. This is one of the few original galleries remaining in all of England. Most were torn down in the middle of the 19th century with the advent of the organ, making the gallery unnecessary to house the choir (quire) of musicians which formerly provided the music and led the hymns. In a box pew beneath the gallery, near the church entrance, is carved the name "Henery". This may have been the inspiration for the name Henery Fray, one of the workfolk on Bathsheba's farm in Far From the Madding Crowd.

The interior of the church, looking toward the east window, as seen from the gallery.