West Stafford is a village in south west Dorset, England, situated in the Frome valley two miles east of Dorchester. The village has a population of 270 (As of 2001[update]). It contains 'The Wise Man Inn', which is the village pub, and St Andrew's Church. The river Winterbourne runs beside the village and 2 miles south lies the village of West Knighton. When training as an architect, the famous writer Thomas Hardy assisted in the design of Talbot Hayes House and the cottages opposite.