Dorchester

Hardy's birthplace feels more alive in Dorchester than it probably should. The county town of Dorset wears its literary connections well - Thomas Hardy was born just outside and used the place as the model for Casterbridge in his novels. Today it's a proper working market town rather than a tourist destination, which makes it all the more authentic.

Walk down South Street and you'll pass Georgian townhouses that wouldn't look out of place in a period drama. The weekly market still draws farmers from across the county, creating a buzz that many similar towns have lost. Mill House Cider Museum tells the story of Dorset's apple-growing heritage with surprising enthusiasm, while the Dorset Collection of Clocks offers an oddly compelling few hours among timepieces from across the centuries.

Beyond the town centre, Clayland Coppice provides decent walking through ancient woodland, though it's hardly spectacular. What really matters is Dorchester's position. You're twenty minutes from Weymouth's seafront, half an hour from the Jurassic Coast's most dramatic stretches, and perfectly placed for exploring Hardy country proper.

The A35 runs straight through town, making it dead easy to reach from London or the West Country. Dorchester South station connects to Weymouth and London Waterloo, though the service can be patchy. Staying at one of the holiday parks dotted around the area - particularly towards the coast at places like Durdle Door Holiday Park - gives you the best of both worlds: easy access to this understated county town plus the Dorset countryside and coastline that made Hardy write so eloquently about home.