Why did Thomas Hardy use Wessex as the setting for so many novels?

Thomas Hardy used the fictional setting of Wessex for many of his novels because it was a region he knew intimately, having grown up in the county of Dorset, which served as part of the foundation for his literary landscape.1

Hardy utilized the name "Wessex"—a historical reference to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom—as a collective term for the counties of southwestern England. His deep familiarity with this area, combined with his early experiences of rural life, its seasonal rhythms, and its oral culture, provided the essential backdrop for his writing. By grounding his stories in this specific, well-known environment, Hardy was able to craft a distinct setting that blended pastoral elements with the social and tragic themes characteristic of his work.234