Welcome to Wessex Society, the cultural society for the land of Thomas Hardy, King Alfred, Broadchurch, Hot Fuzz and The Wurzels. Here you can buy merchandise, learn about the region, and read our blog.
Wessex Chronicle (Blog)
The Character of Wessex: The Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase
Cranborne Chase has been a hunting ground since the time of the Bastard. It forms part of a wider character area stretching from just south of Salisbury to just north of Weymouth, and otherwise known, along with the neighbouring Dorset Heaths character area, as Hardy Country. It is a sparsely-populated chalk downland dominated by food …
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Wessex Attractions: Stoke-sub-Hamdon Priory
Stoke-sub-Hamdon Priory, two miles west of Montacute House, is a collection of 14th century farm buildings that once housed the college of priests serving the Chapel of St Nicholas, which no longer survives. The 15th century Great Hall, a Grade I listed building, is open to visitors, and the entire complex is maintained by the …
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Wessex On Screen: The Mother of Dartmoor
The Mother of Dartmoor is a 1916 British silent drama film directed by George Loane Tucker., based on the novel The Mother by Eden Philpotts. It’s also a very difficult film to write about, at’s not clear whether any copies even survive more than a century later. Wikipedia, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), abd Letterboxd only …
Contact Us
The Society holds events on the closest Saturday to Barnes Night (22nd February), St Ealdhelm’s Day (25th May) and King Alfred Day (26th October).See the blog for details of forthcoming events.