Stinsford church

The Dorset village of Stinsford is little more than a cluster of cottages and farm buildings on the outskirts of Dorchester. Located down a quiet lane stands the medieval church of St Michael. Most people seek out Stinsford to visit the grave of Thomas Hardy, whose novels evoked the spirit of the Dorset countryside in settings just like this. Hardy used Stinsford church as the model for Mellstock Church in his novel 'Under the Greenwood Tree'.