English: Thomas Hardy Locations Far from the Madding Crowd Waterston Manor is the Wetherbury Farm of this great novel of Hardy's. Bathsheba Everdene the novel's heroine inherited this property from her uncle and became a wealthy lady farmer. Gabriel Oak, a shepherd whose life she had previously saved but whose offer of marriage she had previously spurned arrived here and saved her stock of hay from a fire. Bathsheba hired Gabriel as her farm manager or Bailiff.

A rich but elderly bachelor farmer Boldwood courts her but she just toys with him. Gabriel rebukes her and is sacked by her. All her sheep fall sick and Gabriel is the only one who can save them. She begs him to return and their friendship is restored.

Bathseba is then seduced By dashing Sergeant Troy a wastrel gambler who is actually in love with a poor girl Fanny Robin. Troy marries Bathsheba but after she finds out about Fanny when Fanny dies in childbirth in the workhouse Troy disappears at sea and is presumed dead.

Boldwood tries to marry Bathsheba again but Troy turns up to claim his place and at a party at Boldwood's house , Boldwood shoots Troy dead. Bathseba then marries Gabriel and he becomes master of this great house.