Thomas Hardy – Link to Pentridge

Like many Dorset villages, Pentridge has strong links to the author, Thomas Hardy.

He was said to have stayed in Pentridge for some time – there is a local argument as to whether the house in which he resided was Pentridge House or the farmhouse at Manor Farm.

When Hardy wrote Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Pentridge was featured as ‘Trantridge’ in Hardy’s Wessex.

The ‘new’ d’Urbervilles (Alec and his mother) were living in Trantridge when Tess was sent by her father to seek her kin. Tess took a job at the d’Urberville house, living in the cottage with the chickens for a short time.

‘Every Village has its idiosyncrasy, its constitution, often its own code of morality. The levity of some of the younger women in and about Trantridge was marked, and was perhaps symptomatic of the choice spirit who ruled The Slopes in that vicinity. The place had also a more abiding defect; it drank hard.’  Extract from Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Tess didn’t immediately involve herself with the other workers from the village, who each Saturday night, when work was done, would head to the local town to drink beer. After much pressure from the matrons, Tess consented to go. It was on one of those nights, in September, when Tess met with Alec d’Urberville who escorted her back to Trantridge and her life changed forever.

The Inn which was frequented by Tess and the workers of Trantridge was said to be The Inn at Cranborne which they reached by walking across Pentridge Hill via Penbury Knoll and Cranborne Chase. The routes around Pentridge and Cranborne Chase are still used by walking groups, ramblers, dog walkers and local residents.

The area around Pentridge (Trantridge) has barely changed, when you are in the fields, or on the hill, you can almost feel Tess there with you.

In July 2016, SISATA Open Air Theatre performed Tess of the d’Urbervilles in Trantridge (Pentridge). This was a very special performance for Hardy’s fans as well as for our local community.