St Nicholas
Moreton, Dorset
Standing proud on a prominent mound, Moreton's church is a neat and immaculate example of Georgian church architecture.
St Michael's in Owermoigne is central to The Distracted Preacher, Thomas Hardy's story of Smuggling in the village.
Discover the story about Owermoigne from Hardy's novella, The Distracted Preacher, inspired by the real life 1830 Assizes Court trial of smugglers from Owermoigne. There is a short walking tour with a map of the centre of the village, featuring locations from the story.
Thomas Hardy is one of English Literature's finest authors and he famously set iconic works, like Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the D'Urbervilles in a fictionalised Dorset. Early generations of his family lived and died in Owermoigne. Parish register entries for the family date back to 1624. The Thomas Hardy Walking trail encompasses much of Dorset and the last leg starts from Owermoigne church and ends in Stinsford church, where Thomas Hardy is buried.
St Michael's is an attractive Listed building in the heart of this south Dorset village with a 14th century tower and the nave and chancel were beautifully restored in 1883 by Revd John Cree, the squire-parson, whose family still live in the village.
A hospitality and display area is under construction in early 2026, helped by grant from the National Churches Trust.