Up a woodland track and nestled in trees, this cob and thatch cottage was where Thomas Hardy was born and grew up. These woods were his childhood playground and where he learnt about the natural world, which so richly illustrated  in his novels and poems. ‘Egdon Heath’ of The Return of the Native fame, sits just behind. Rushy Pond, also featuring in his work, is a five minute walk further into the woods. It is owned by the National Trust and is located near Dorchester. You can take a guided tour around it, Well worth a visit!
We love Thomas Hardy at Wild Boar Press! His poems are featured in both our anthologies. Below is his poem from The King’s Mark: Poetry of the New Forest 1087-1930 which is available here.
The ‘death-marks’ Hardy mentions in the poem, are what were historically known as the ‘King’s mark’ in the New Forest, dating from the Tudor period. Trees due to be felled for timber had an arrow carved into the trunk. You can still occasionally spot these historic marks on ancient oaks that were somehow missed, or indeed on our cover above!
Throwing a Tree, New Forest
by Thomas Hardy
I
The two executioners stalk along over the knolls
Bearing two axes with heavy heads shining and wide,
And a long limp two-handled saw toothed for cutting great boles,
And so they approach the proud tree that bears the death-mark on its side.
II
Jackets doffed they swing axes and chop away just above ground
And the chips fly about and lie white on the moss and fallen leaves;
Till a broad deep gash in the bark is hewn all the way round, wood;
And one of them tries to hook upward a rope, which at last he achieves.
III
The saw then begins, till the top of the tall giant shivers:
The shivers are seen to grow greater with each cut than before:
They edge out the saw, tug the rope; but the tree only quivers,
And kneeling and sawing again, they step back to try pulling once more.
IV
Then, lastly, the living mast sways, further sways: with a shout Job and Ike rush aside.
Reached the end of its long staying powers
The tree crashes downward: it shakes all its neighbours throughout,
And two hundred years’ steady growth has been ended in less than two hours.
You can read more about Thomas Hardy here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hardy
Speak soon! KJ