Hardy called it a “crumbling place” with a “grey, weather-worn” façade. “The rambling and neglected dwelling had all the romantic excellencies and practical drawbacks which such mildewed places share in common with caves, mountains, wildernesses [and] glens,” he wrote.
It is not known whether Hardy visited the house before he published his book in 1880, but it is thought that he must have at least spent time nearby.
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Fortunately for the estate agents, Knight Frank, today’s Poxwell Manor is nothing like its fictional depiction.
Rather than manure, the gardens of the manor, which was built in the early 17th century, now feature rose-covered pergolas, lavender walks, two lakes and a stream.
Ten acres of land, a three-bedroom cottage and a helicopter hangar are also included in the sale.
Poxwell Manor’s kitchen Photo: BNPS/Knight Frank
James McKillop of Knight Frank said the Hardy connection gave the house an additional “romantic pull”.
“We can’t know for sure but I think it’s highly probable he visited the property or spent time in the area and knew the house well,” he said. “He makes quite a lot of reference to it in the book.”
Hardy set his novels in only slightly fictionalised versions of the countryside of the South West, which he called Wessex. Now, the same countryside is better known to some as the backdrop for television series, including the crime drama Broadchurch, which was set in a small town in Dorset.
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“Lots of television series are romanticising the Dorset countryside at the moment,” said Mr McKillop. “It has always been a highly-regarded and sought-after county anyway, mainly because it’s slightly off-the-beaten-track.”
The current owner, Peter Bolton, a property developer, likes the manor so much he bought it twice. He first lived there for ten years in the Eighties before moving to an estate. But he bought the manor again when it was last sold in 1998.
He is now putting it on the market once again, after deciding to move to Italy.