Hardy wrote his first novel "The Poor Man and The Lady" at his desk here in the cottage bedroom. It was too confronting of social norms, highly controversial and regarded as "full of mischief". No one would publish it and he was bitterly disappointed. Hardy later in life destroyed the manuscript. The anger never went away: the wounds inflicted by rejection, condescension, failure and loss of love remained and 'bled' at the slightest provocation - often through his poems or novels.