Woolbridge House — supposdly the orginal of Wellbridge House in Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Source of photograph: Anniversary Edition of the Wessex Novels, 1920, facing p. 276. Scanned image (2002) by Philip V. Allingham; text by Allingham and George P. Landow. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL.]
According to the editors, many of whose remarks seem based on Thomas Hardy's Wessex (1913) by Herman Lea,
It is to Wellbridge House, the idea of which is taken from Woolbridge House, the old Elizabethan house, formerly one of the ancestral homes of the D'Urbervilles, that Angel Clare and Tess go after their marriage. The manor-house is situated near Woolbridge Station, clearly seen from the train as it enters the station of Wool. In this house may be found the two old mural portraits of Tess's ancestors mentioned in the novel. The legend of the D'Urberville coach is also attached to this house.
Bibliography
Hardy, Thomas. Tess of the D'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman. "Anniversary Edition of the Wessex Novels." New York & London: Harper & Brothers, 1920. This edition derives in part from previous editions and the photographs of 1912.
Last modified 19 April 2024