“The Disappearing Creation”: Architectural Conservation and the Natural Landscape in Tess of the d’Urbervilles

Abstract

Thomas Hardy’s work as an architect prior to his becoming an author led him to develop the preservationist view that a major aspect of ancient buildings’ value lies in their human associations. In Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Hardy explores the inextricable links among man-made structures, humanity and the natural world, while also demonstrating instances where nature and the built environment – particularly decaying constructions that have not been conserved – can merge to form a unified landscape. The five sites the article uses to examine this notion are: the d’Urberville home of The Slopes; the fowl-house where Mrs d’Urberville’s birds live; the Cross-in-Hand monument; the d’Urberville tombs at Kingsbere; and Stonehenge. While The Slopes provides a prime example of how jarringly architecture can contrast with its natural environment, the fowl-house exemplifies the decaying structure that, because it has not been conserved, has been reclaimed by nature. Cross-in-Hand, the Kingsbere tombs and Stonehenge are all described with plant- and animal-related terminology, emphasizing their integration with and reclamation by their natural environs. Ultimately, the man-made structures in Tess highlight the notion that architectural spaces must be considered in the context of the natural landscape around them. As the humans who occupy these spaces will eventually fade into oblivion, nature must be a fundamental consideration in the architectural process, since nature will ultimately reclaim man-made spaces that are not conserved. In Tess, Hardy’s “green”-ness centres on his emphasis that the natural environment should be just as valued in the architectural conservation process as the built environment.