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)
Essential Wessex: Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth (c1095-c1155) may bear the name of a Welsh town, but his best-known work, the History of the Kings of Britain was composed at Oxford Castle, where he appears to have been a secular canon at St George’s College. This largely fictitious “history” contains, among other things, the myth of the founding of …
Wessex in Fiction: The Crowner John Mysteries
The office of crowner (coroner) was established during the reign of Richard I, to protect the financial interests of the Crown in each county of England. One of the coroner’s duties was to investigate the cause of a death believed to be unnatural, once the hue and cry had been raised and it is this …
Continue reading “Wessex in Fiction: The Crowner John Mysteries”
Wessex in Literature: Our Village
Our Village is a 5-volume series by Mary Russell Mitford containing around 100 literary sketches of rural life, based on the hamlet of Three Mile Cross in Berkshire. They paint a vivid picture of life in a Wessex village towards the end of the Georgian era. Mitford writes in great detail about the flora and …
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). However, all events are currently suspended due to the coronavirus lockdown. The next event will be announced once the lockdown is lifted.