Improve your writing skills in the atmospheric setting of Thomas Hardy’s cottage.

People will be able to join writer-in-residence Virginia Astley as she hosts numerous workshops throughout October.

The sessions will be held in Hardy’s potting shed and are aimed to suit all abilities, whether you want to dabble with a little scribble or are looking to develop your writing.

The dates for the workshops will be on Friday, October 6, Friday, October 13, Saturday, October 14, Tuesday, October 17, Saturday, October 21, Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28 - all running from 10.30am until 1pm.

Many sessions also include a bit of walking in the landscape so when booking the workshops let the organises know if you have any mobility issues and they can adapt the session.

All bookings can be made on 01305 262366.

And if that wasn’t enough, the National Trust is also hosting a number of other events throughout next month.

Saturday, October 7 will see Apple Day at the cottage.

People are invited to come and be part of a truly Dorset experience with a day of apple pressing, Dorset apple cake tasting, and music. This event is suitable for all ages and will run from 11am until 3pm.

As a boy, Hardy was immersed in the musical and storytelling traditions of his parents and grandparents. These traditions later inspired many of the storylines and communal scenes of his novels. Tim Laycock will be taking up residence in the potting shed to explore these traditions.

The Tuneful Stories event will be held on Saturday, October 14 from 1pm until 4pm.

A similar event will be held at Max Gate on Wednesday, October 4 and Saturday, October 21, both from 1pm to 4pm.

And to round the month off, Tim Laycock, accompanied on fiddle by Colin Thompson, will entertain guests with an evening of music, storytelling and readings.

Travelling back to the time of the Napoleonic Wars, the performers will mark the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Hardy was always fascinated by this period, his grandfather was a coastal watchman during the threat of invasion and his grandmother raised him on gory stories about Napoleon. The period later provided the inspiration for his novel ‘The Trumpet Major’ and epic poem ‘The Dynasts’.

The event will run on both Friday, October 20 and Saturday, October 21 from 7pm until 9pm at Hardy’s Cottage.

For more information on any of the events visit nationaltrust.org.uk