Thomas Hardy's Wessex

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The English author Thomas Hardy set all of his major novels in the south and southwest of England. He named the area "Wessex" after the medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom that existed in this part of that country prior to the Norman Conquest. Although the places that appear in his novels actually exist, in many cases he gave the place a fictional name. For example, Hardy's hometown of Dorchester he called Casterbridge in his books, most famously in the Mayor of Casterbridge.


Contents

[edit] Thomas Hardy's Wessex Names

[edit] Wessex regions and actual English counties

Map of the historic counties of England on which the regions of Wessex can be found.
Enlarge
Map of the historic counties of England on which the regions of Wessex can be found.
Region of Wessex Actual English County Position on Map
Lower Wessex Devon 9
Mid Wessex Wiltshire 37
North Wessex Berkshire 2
Outer Wessex Somerset 30
South Wessex Dorset 10
Upper Wessex Hampshire 14

(Note: The Isle of Wight, which is a separate English county, was considered to be a part of the county of Hampshire - and thus Upper Wessex - during Thomas Hardy's lifetime)

[edit] Specific places in Thomas Hardy's Wessex

[edit] Key to references for the place name table

The Abreviations for Thomas Hardy's novel that are used in the table are as follows:

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Table of Wessex place names, their actual places in southern England, and their appearance in Thomas Hardy's novels

Wessex Name Region of Wessex Actual Name Appearance in Hardy's Novels
A
Abbot's-Cernel South Wessex Cerne Abbas
Abbotsea Abbotsbury
Aldbrickham North Wessex Reading
Alfredston North Wessex Wantage Jude Fawley becomes a mason's apprentice there. It is also where he works following his marriage to Arabella Donn. (JtO)
Anglebury South Wessex Wareham
B
Budmouth South Wessex Weymouth
C
Casterbridge South Wessex Dorchester
Chalk Newton South Wessex Maiden Newton
Chaseborough South Weesex Cranbourne
Christminster Although Christminister is technically not within the borders of Hardy's Wessex, as it is located to the north of the River Thames, he describes it in Jude the Obscure as being "within hail of the Wessex border, and almost with the tip of one small toe within it" Oxford This is where Jude Fawley goes to become a scholar, and is advised to give up his career choice. Sue Bridehead works has a job in a shop which produces religious artifacts there, meets her cousin, and is thrown from her lodgings. (JtO)
Cresscombe North Wessex Letcombe Basset
D
Durnover Fordington
E
Emminster South Wessex Beaminster
Evershead Evershot
H
Havenpool South Wessex Poole
K
Knollsea South Wessex Swanage
L
Lulwind Cove South Wessex Lulworth Cove
Lumsdon North Wessex Cumnor It is there that Jude Fawley meets up with his old teacher Mr. Phillotson again. It is where Sue Bridehead starts to work as a teacher and promises herself in marriage to Mr. Phillotson. (JtO)
M
Marlott South Wessex Marnhull Tess Durbeyfield is born and brought up there. After becoming pregnant by Alec D'Urberville she returns to the village and gives birth to a baby boy, who dies in his infancy. (TotD)
Marygreen North Wessex Fawley Drusilla Fawley runs a bakery there. It is the place where Sue Bridehead spent her childhood. Jude Fawley is brought there following the death of his father, and it is where he matures into a man. (JtO)
Melchester Mid Wessex Salisbury This is the place where Jude goes to prepare himself for the ministry, and where Sue Bridehead is studing to become a teacher. The latter runs away from her school there, and later marries Mr. Phillotson in the town. (JtO)
Mellstock South Wessex Stinsford and Higher & Lower Bockhampton Jude Fawley's father died there. (JtO)
P
Port Bredy South Wessex Bridport
Q
Quatershot Upper Wessex Aldershot
S
Sandbourne Upper Wessex Bournemouth This is the place where Tess Durbeyfield lives with Alec D'Urberville as his mistress, and where she murders him upon the return of her husband, Angel Clare. (TotD). It is also the place where Sue Bridehead's freethinking friend was buried, and where she was the only mourner at his funeral. (JtO)
Shaston South Wessex Shaftesbury Jack Durbeyfield visits the doctor in Shaston and learns that he has a bad heart. (TotD). Mr. Phillotson moves there in order to run a school. Jude Fawley travels there to see Sue Bridehead, who, married to Mr. Phillotson, is working in the town, and they flee the place together. (JtO)
Isle of Slingers South Wessex Isle of Portland
Street of Wells South Wessex Fortuneswell
W
Weydon-Priors Upper Wessex It is there that Michael Henchard sells his wife while he is drunk. (MoC)
Wintoncester South Wessex Winchester
Spoilers end here.

[edit] External links

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