If you go:

Getting there: Both Air Canada (aircanada.com) and British Airways (britishairways.com) offer daily direct flights to London Heathrow from Vancouver. Thomas Hardy’s Dorset is an area of small villages, and the easiest way to explore them is by car. The major town in the area is Dorchester; it is about a 2½-hour drive southwest from London. Alternatively, you can get to Dorchester by train on the South West Line (southwesttrains.co.uk). Staying and dining there: Right in Dorchester, The Casterbridge Guest House is a Georgian townhouse loaded with period details, right down to the library bar and conservatory. Visit thecasterbridge.co.uk. The Wise Man Pub in West Stafford, five kilometres east of Dorchester (thewisemaninn.com), is a 400-year-old thatch-roofed establishment that specializes in real ale and classic British pub fare. In Lower Bockhampton, near Hardy’s birthplace, the 350-yearold Yalbury Cottage features exceptional French-inspired cuisine based on the freshest of local farm ingredients (yalburycottage. com). The cottage also has a few cosy rooms available should you wish to stay the night. For more accommodation and dining suggestions, check out visit-dorset.com. Touring there: Join the knowledgeable and entertaining Alistair Chisholm as he leads tours, talks and walks with his company, Thomas Hardy Explorer (thomas-hardy-explorer.co.uk). For more information: To learn about Hardy’s Cottage, Max Gate, the Cerne Giant and other protected heritage sites, visit the National Trust website at nationaltrust.org.uk. For details about Mapperton House, go to mapperton.com. For info on travel in the U.K., go to the Visit Britain site, visitbritain.com.