Welcome to Wessex Society, the cultural society for the land of Thomas Hardy, King Alfred, Broadchurch, Hot Fuzz and The Wurzels. Here you can buy merchandise, learn about the region, and read our blog.
Wessex Chronicle (Blog)
Wessex in Fiction: The Maid of Sker
The Maid of Sker is a romance by RD Blackmore published in 1872, although he had been working on it since 1847. Blackmore regarded it as his finest work, though it is little-remembered compared to his earlier novel, Lorna Doone. It was first serialised in Blackwood’s Magazine before being published in three volumes. The plot …
Wessex Worthies: George Monk
George Monk, or Monck, (1608-70), was a general in the English Civil War. He fought on the Royalist side, but later led the Parliamentary Army in Scotland, being named as a possible successor to Oliver Cromwell. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, King Charles II appointed him to the peerage, giving him the …
Wessex In Fiction: The Butterfly Lion
The Butterfly Lion is a 1996 novel for children by Michael Morpurgo, which won the Smarties Book Prize for that year. It tells the story of a South African boy named Bertie who finds an orphaned white lion cub, but is forced to give the lion to a circus and leave South Africa for a …
Contact Us
The Society holds events on the closest Saturday to Barnes Night (22nd February), St Ealdhelm’s Day (25th May) and King Alfred Day (26th October).See the blog for details of forthcoming events.