National Trust acquires Dorset heathland that inspired Thomas Hardy

200-acre Slepe Heath, bought for £650,000, is a place to lose yourself in, says trust, and also a rich site for rare flora and fauna

The skies are huge, the browns, greens and burnished yellows of the heath striking. It is not much of a leap to imagine a Thomas Hardy character striding through the heather, heading for a tragic end.

More than 200 acres of this dramatic landscape Slepe Heath in Dorset, Hardys homeland and thought to be an inspiration for Egdon Heath in The Return of the Native has been acquired by the National Trust and is being restored to the glory that inspired the great writer.

Continue reading...