Opinion on the future of Hardy’s cottage is divided according to the results of the National Trust’s public consultation 'How Hardy do you think you are? A proposal for the presentation of Hardy’s cottage', with 47 percent of respondents in favour and 53 percent opposed to the proposal.
© NTPL / Eric Crichton
The consultation produced lots of great ideas which we hope to develop. We know how passionate people are about Hardy’s cottage. We want to preserve its special magic but at the same time improve the quality of the visit. Our aim is to extend Hardy’s appeal to new audiences as well as continuing to cater for those who already have Hardy in their heads.
Building on ideas from the consultation exercise and when time and funds allow, the National Trust plans to:
- Improve the interpretation at the cottage by focussing more on Hardy the man and less on general 19th-century rural living
- Maintain the current sparse presentation of the cottage
- Consider extending the current visitor season
- Enhance the programme of events throughout the year
Areas of concern
The consultation threw up a number of areas of particular concern to respondents. Almost a third thought that the cottage should not become a winter holiday let. There was a broad concern expressed that the building could be damaged by allowing people to stay, either through general wear and tear or accidental fire. Many respondents were also anxious that the quiet and uncluttered character of the cottage should be preserved. Finally, there was a strong view that the cottage was an important monument to Thomas Hardy and should be respected as such.
© NTPL / Eric Crichton
The National Trust has considerable experience of sensitively converting protected buildings and managing them as holiday cottages. However, we want to ensure that we reflect the breadth of views of those taking part in the consultation in our decision-making process. We have, therefore, decided not to move forward with the holiday let proposal at this juncture. In the long term, however, we do want to leave open the possibility of considering whether to offer winter accommodation for specialist retreats at the cottage.
Over the coming months, the National Trust will set up a working group with the Hardy Society, the Dorset County Museum, and the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to bring its vision for Hardy’s cottage alive.
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