Our plans will not only allow visitors to view the landscape which inspired Thomas Hardy, but we’re also proposing a visitor centre to encourage tourism. We intend to link up the Hardy Trail through the new 200 acre Country Park, to allow tourists and locals alike to access the water meadows and local landscape easily.
The Frome Valley Country Park and nature reserve is central to the design of the North Dorchester Garden Community. The Country Park will enable residents to walk and cycle from the town centre, through the water meadows and into North Dorchester. A nature reserve within the park will create and preserve new wetland habitats for wildlife.
The new Frome Valley Park will feature a visitor centre, the Frome Valley Park Pavilion, which will orientate users of the water meadows and provide a focus for heritage trails in and around the town. Cafe facilities are likely to be provided within this facility, providing an attractive hub for the town.
A new extension to the Hardy Trail will traverse the water meadows within the new Frome Valley Park, enabling residents and visitors to appreciate the history of the Frome Valley which is presently inaccessible. It will provide connection to the Hardy assets, linking Kingston Maurwood and Charminster via the water meadows and providing a new perspective on the historic county town.