Hardy Articled to Architect John Hicks in Dorchester
Poet involved
What happened
Hardy was articled to the Dorchester architect John Hicks, beginning his formal training in architecture. He continued making the daily walk from Higher Bockhampton to the county town for his apprenticeship.
Literary impact
Hardy's architectural training gave him a precise, structural understanding of form and design that he later applied to his novels and poetry. The Gothic revival work he undertook on churches immersed him in the ecclesiastical architecture that features prominently in his writing, while the apprenticeship itself provided the practical skills that supported him before his literary success.
Source: Victorian Web
