More than two weeks ago now I walked from Dorchester to Stinsford (not even the whole of the way #ThomasHardy walked to school everyday as a child) and visited Hardy's grave at St. Michael's, or rather, that of his heart only. I wonder whether the very straight path is still of Roman origin.

Some of the sights that we saw from the walk back home from Kingston Maurward, which include the giant field next to the car park (with sheep in it) and St Michael's Church in Stinsford. #kingstonmaurward#dorchester#Dorset#walk#Field#fieldofsheep#sheep#stmichaelschurch#Church#stinsford

Thomas Hardy, Novelist, Poet, Short Story Writer, #BornOnThisDay in 1840, in Stinsford, Dorset, England “Let me enjoy the earth no less Because the all-enacting Might That fashioned forth its loveliness Had other aims than my delight.”

Thomas Hardy was buried on this day 1928. When he died, he wanted his body cremated and interred at Stinsford. He heart was supposed to be buried at Westminster, but after the surgeon removed his heart, the cat ate it. So they killed the cat and buried him instead. www.poetsgraves.co.uk/hardy.htm

Thomas Hardy died OTD in 1928. His ashes are in Westminster Abbey, but his heart was to be buried in his village. The doctor was called away during the procedure, and when he returned, he found that his cat had eaten part of the heart. Cat and heart are buried in St Michael's, Stinsford, Dorset.

I have just been reminded that Thomas Hardy died on this day (1928). While his ashes were to be interred in Westminster Abbey, his heart was to be buried in his home village of Stinsford, Dorset. Only the doctor's cat ate it. They buried the cat.