The Plankbridge Shepherd’s Hut Garden
This tranquil wildflower garden takes its inspiration from the beautiful Dorset countryside immortalised by the writer Thomas Hardy in his novel Far From the Madding Crowd. Central to the garden is a scaled-down contemporary version of an authentic Dorset shepherd’s hut, like one the shepherd Gabriel Oak would have used in the novel. This shepherd’s hut is designed for use as a writer’s retreat and is set amongst a water meadow, close to a disused watercress bed where the small stream that fed the bed still flows gently. It is a place to relax and find inspiration.