In search of Thomas Hardy, T. E. Lawrence and Anthony Ettricke

One of the most renowned poets and novelists in English literary history, Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 in the English village of Higher Bockhampton in the county of Dorset. Though he was an architectural apprentice in London, and spent time there each year until his late 70s, Dorset provided Hardy with material for his fiction and poetry. One of the poorest and most backward of the counties, rural life in Dorset had changed little in hundreds of years, which Hardy explored through the rustic characters in many of his novels. Strongly identifying himself and his work with Dorset.

T. E. Lawrence was a British scholar, writer and soldier who mobilised the Arab Revolt in World War One and became famous as 'Lawrence of Arabia'. In 1917, T.E. Lawrence was captured at Dar'a and tortured and sexually abused, leaving emotional scars that never healed. By 1918, Lawrence had been promoted to lieutenant colonel and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Order of Bath by King George V, but politely refused the medals in support of Arab independence.

Lawrence fell from his Brough Superior motorcycle, one of many he owned, when he was in collision with two boys on bicycles on the road between Bovington Camp and Clouds Hill. He never regained consciousness. Lawrence died on 19^th May 1935  as a result of his injuries and was buried  at Moreton, Dorset.

Wimbourne Minster is famous for a number of reasons - 

its anatomical clock c1320 

... its amazing organ loft with 3,000 pipes + trumpets.

   The West Tower housing 13 bells.

Its amazing ceilings

its charity chest and keys 

         



... and ancient relic chest

but the most bizarre is The Man in the Wall. Anthony Ettericke (the man in the wall) would not be burried inside the Minster, nor outside the Minster. Neither in the ground or above the ground. His coffin, made during his lifetime, was placed in the wall.