🏠 Indoor & outdoor5–88–1212–16GardensEducational
What’s there
- On-street parking only
No car park on site. Limited on-street parking nearby; the venue asks visitors to park considerately. Drop-off for wheelchair users possible by prior arrangement.
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
Hardy's House, Max Gate is the home Thomas Hardy designed for himself in the 1880s and lived in until his death in 1928. The National Trust cares for the house, its walled garden and the surrounding grounds, which include a scheduled archaeological site. Visits are by guided tour led by volunteers, so families can hear the stories of the house and see the study where Hardy wrote many of his novels and poems. The garden is a quiet place to walk and look at trees and planting, and a sundial Hardy designed is set into the east tower. Children with an interest in books, history or old buildings tend to get the most out of a visit. There is no café on site, so it suits a short, focused trip, often combined with the county museum and other sights in Dorchester town centre.
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.
Wet wipes
Small first aid kitPlasters solve more days out than anything else here.- Travel games
Kids' headphones
Folding stool- Tablet headrest mountFor the long way home, not the day itself.
- Sun cream for after
Spare socksThe single most reliably useful thing on this list.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links open Amazon in a new tab and never change what you pay. How this works
Photos: 維基小霸王, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Renée Kools, CC BY 4.0 · david falkner from Birmingham, England, CC BY 2.0 · W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviews
No reviews yet — been here with your little ones? Be the first to share.
Something not right? Tell us — opening hours and prices change, and we’d rather hear it from you.
Do you run Hardy's House, Max Gate? Claim this listing to keep it up to date and add your own photos.
More museums & science centres nearby
