‘Peaceful trespass’ planned at Dorset beauty spot after new owners shut path

Loss of access to lake and waterfall in Thomas Hardy country prompts action at Bridehead estate

Heaven only knows what Thomas Hardy would have made of it. On Saturday, protesters will arrive at the Bridehead estate in Dorset, hop across a low stone wall and take part in a peaceful trespass" to express their anger and sadness at the loss of access to a spot in the sort of landscape Hardy wrote about so evocatively.

They will picnic near a lake, listen to songs and some will join a writing workshop, while drawing attention to the closure of a permissive path that local people and visitors have used for generations.