Thomas Hardy's home, Max Gate. Photograph by Philip V. Allingham. 2002.

Max Gate, Hardy's home from 29 June 1885 until his death on 16 January 1928, was designed by Hardy himself (he had practised architecture professionally in both Dorchester and London before becoming a writer) and his brother Henry, a local builder. The name is a pun on "Mack's Gate," for it was built on the site of the cottage and tollgate of Mack, the turnpike keeper. Little did Hardy realise in 1885 that the house was actually situated in the middle of a neolithic stone circle and a Romano-British cemetery.

Last modified 19 August 2002