The Budmouth Road

I'm on the chalk Ridgeway that runs east-west keeping Dorchester and Weymouth apart. The new road is nearly finished but traffic still has to use the temporary road beyond it, until the new one is ready. There's also a new cycletrack running this side of it.

Like all new roads it has its opponents and its supporters; whatever you think it will improve the lot of people living along the current road. It's been planned for at least 20 years and will be ready in time for the 2012 Olympics: the sailing events are to be held in Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour.

What would Thomas Hardy have made of this view? In The Mayor of Casterbridge Elizabeth-Jane and Donald Farfrae often walk along this Roman road (the 'Budmouth Road') after work, often spied on by the tragic Henchard.

Two miles out, a quarter of a mile from the highway, was the prehistoric fort of Mai Dun (Maiden Castle), of huge dimensions and many ramparts, within or upon whose enclosures a human being, as seen from the road, was but an insignifiant speck. Hitherward Henchard often resorted, glass in hand, and scanned the hedgeless Via - for it was the original track laid out by the legions of the Empire - to a distance of two or three miles, his object being to read the progress of affairs between Farfrae and his charmer.

Maiden Castle is visible in this picture, in the middle distance. Hardy would have recognised that, and the still hedgeless road - he lived to a ripe old age so was accustomed to roads and motor vehicles. But he would have been surprised to see the new development of Poundbury which fills the skyline in this view. As a keen cyclist I'm sure he would have approved of the cycletrack.