What the heck is a lek?
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
Home » Our work » Exhibitions » Thomas Hardy exhibition » Hardy exhibition – Museum & Art Swindon
Rural Wessex – social tensions and animal welfare
Find out how Hardy felt about the social tensions and inequalities of the time, and how he campaigned against animal cruelty.
Coastal Wessex – love and war
Experience the romance and excitement of the coastline which inspired Thomas Hardy’s writing. From first meeting his wife Emma on the wild cliffs of Cornwall, to his fascination with the Napoleonic wars.
Urban Wessex – Women’s equality and religion
Step into the urban world of Thomas Hardy’s novels. Find out about the strong women that shaped the young Hardy, how he went on to campaign for women’s rights, as well as his thoughts on religion.
Ancient Wessex – Superstition and old beliefs
Venture into the ancient landscape of Wiltshire, to see how the burial mounds and beliefs of Wessex seeped into Thomas Hardy’s writing. Old beliefs died hard and Hardy’s plots are set against a background of superstition.
For details of opening times, facilities, directions, etc, please visit Museum & Art Swindon’s website.
Our star loans were made possible by support from the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund.
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Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!