Max Gate

This week we had a jaunt out to visit Max Gate, the house that the author Thomas Hardy designed and had built by his father and brother when he had become a successful author. He called it a 'two up, two down' and at first it just about was; there was only the left hand turret in the original build, serving no purpose. A second turret and the extension to the back of the house were added at a later date.

The tower with the clock face is the later addition.

Entry to the house was by timed ticket but we were free to wander around the garden while waiting. Thomas Hardy had bought one and a half acres of unproductive land on which he built his house and I am very envious of the size of his veg garden, where a couple of volunteers were doing their best to keep it in some order.

They told me that this old wheelbarrow is French. It is a clever design because the side panels can be lifted out and repositioned to create a far wider, flat base, ideal for carrying something such as a load of hay.

This lawn is where the Hardy's entertained their guests. The small conservatory was built for Florence, Thomas Hardy's second wife.