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Thomas Hardy exhibition

The landscapes that inspired a writer 

Exhibition across four museums 28 May – 30 Oct 2022

Exhibition opens in Swindon  26 October 2024 – 8 February 2025 at Museum & Art Swindon

Sunset over Wessex landscape with image of Thomas Hardy superimposed over it

Take a fresh look at the Victorian novelist and poet, Thomas Hardy, in the stunning Wessex landscapes that shaped his view of the world. His story is retold in exciting new ways by our museum collections, from period costumes to personal letters, art to archaeology

  • A treasure trove of objects that give personal insights into Thomas Hardy’s life
  • Many of the objects have never been on public display before 

We are hugely grateful to Battens Solicitors for sponsoring this exhibition. Battens has a 300-year old history in the south west – it’s Yeovil office was open in the days when Thomas Hardy was finding his inspiration in the Wessex landscapes.

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The exhibition explores the life and work of Victorian novelist and poet Thomas Hardy, set against the Wessex landscapes that inspired him.
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Hardy's Wessex
Museum & Art Swindon

Find out how Hardy tackled class snobbery and animal cruelty.
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'The rural landscape - social tensions'
Dorset Museum

Experience the romance and excitement of the coastline that so inspired Hardy.
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'The coastal landscape - love and war'
Poole Museum

Discover Hardy's thinking about women's rights and religion.
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'The urban landscape - women and religion'
The Salisbury Museum

See how Wiltshire's ancient burial mounds and beliefs seeped into Hardy’s writing.
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'The ancient landscape - superstitions'
Wiltshire Museum

Our star loans were made possible by support from the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund. 

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