A pub crawl to make novelist Thomas Hardy proud

Thomas Hardy is one of Dorset's most famous and celebrated authors and the county inspired locations in a number of his novels.

His fans may have also noted his love for the great British pub running throughout his works.

Readers no longer need to scour his novels, short stories and poetry to discover his favourite watering holes, thanks to a new book collating more than 50 premises referenced by Hardy.

Radio Solent's Steve Harris spoke to its co-author Dr Tracy Hayes to find out more.

Alongside fellow Hardy enthusiast Syd Braham, Hayes has collated all of the hostelries, pubs and inns in their book Great Things - Hardy's Hostelries.

She said they hope it will inspire people to visit Dorset and "not just see where Hardy lived, was born and where he's buried, but also where his characters drank and where he drank sometimes as well".

Hayes said about 40 of the pubs mentioned, from Reading in Berkshire, to Cornwall, are still going strong today.

The pair also explored the origins of the boozers, from Peter's Finger in Mixen Lane in The Mayor of Casterbridge to the Buck's Head in Far From the Madding Crowd.

Hardy did not tend to use real names in his stories, explained Hayes, with Dorchester becoming Casterbridge and Weymouth becoming Budmouth - and his pub references were no different.

Readers of one of his best-known novels, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, will remember The Pure Drop Inn, however, Hayes said this was in fact based on The Crown in Marnhull, a 16th Century coaching inn still open today.

"The Pure Drop is absolutely The Crown, " she said. "They even have The Pure Drop door and a Pure Drop bar."

Hayes, former secretary of the Thomas Hardy Society, said she and Braham had visited every pub in their book.

"We don't just give the history of the place, we give the quotes where you can find them in the stories, the novels, the poems," she said.

"We also give topographical information, what the place used to be like, what it is now, and a review if you'd like to go and visit today."

Fittingly, the idea for the book came to Hayes and Braham while they were discussing Hardy in a Weymouth pub.

"Twelve months later, here we are," said Hayes.

They were helped in their research by friend Dr Tony Fincham, vice president of the Hardy Society, who has written about Hardy sites, including pubs.

The book had its official launch on 28 July at a pub in Dorchester, Hardy's Casterbridge.