Thomas Hardy, his second wife Florence and his dog Wessex last visited The Rest and Welcome Inn in 1927 the year before he died. His mother Jemima lived in Melbury Osmond as a child and his parents were married in the village church in 1839.

He would have originally known the The Rest and Welcome Inn as three houses which were built in the late 1700's. He would also have witnessed the conversion of the houses by Bruttons Brewery of Yeovil to an inn in the late 1860's.

He wrote 'Interlopers at the Knap' in May 1884 for 'The English Illustrated Magazine'. 'Hintock' is Melbury Osmond and the 'Sheaf of Arrows' Inn is The Rest and Welcome Inn. The story was included in 'Wessex Tales' published by Harper & Brothers, New York 1888. The London publication by MacMillan & Co referred to The Rest and Welcome Inn as the 'Little Inn' for some unknown reason.

The BBC Dorset Website published an article about Thomas Hardy and The Rest and Welcome Inn 'Ode to a Local Inn' 26 November 2009 BBC