West Stafford Village

West Stafford is a sought after village in southwest Dorset, England, situated in the Frome valley 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Dorchester.  The village contains the popular Wise Man Inn, and St Andrew's Church which dates back to the 15th century. The river Winterbourne runs beside the village and 2 miles south lies the village of West Knighton.  

The village has a lovely grade II listed village hall that was the village school from 1870 to 1933, it is now used as a community space and it is available to hire for weddings, parties or meetings. 

The village has connections with Thomas Hardy’s work - the church of St. Andrews being the apparent setting for Tess and Angel Clare’s marriage in his novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Lower Lewell Farm, located outside the village is the most probable site for ‘Talbothays Dairy’. The village is also the setting of the story The Waiting Supper.