Tolkien's inspiration in The Lord of the Rings

 

Shared by Mariví de la Rocha:

A pre sequel of The Lord of the Rings -but not quite the Silmarillion- will be soon on a tv platform (Gandalf help us!) and this is the excuse for me to bring you  some of the places which are said to have inspired Tolkien:

St. Edward’s Church, Stow-on-the-Wold

This entrance  seems to have inspired the Doors of Durin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy:

"It’s no secret that the ancient and magical yew trees of Britain have guided us for centuries and are shrouded in an air of mystery.  In fact, you’ll find most ancient yews in churchyards as they have a sacred status. The tree’s ability to regenerate from “deadwood” represents life, death, and resurrection which strongly echoes chapters of Christian texts."

There is a local legend that says that J. R. R. Tolkien visited Stow-on-the-Wold on his many tours of the Cotswolds while he was an academic at Oxford.  His brother lived in the market town of Evesham and they regularly met up at Moreton-in-Marsh at The Bell Inn pub too.

 The Tolkien Society has proven that the nearby Bell Inn of Moreton-in-Marsh was used as inspiration for “The Prancing Pony” in the town of Bree. They even had a special print made for the owners!

      

The Four Shire Stone on the A44 was confirmed as inspiration for the “Three-Farthing Stone”. This is mentioned in both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as the boundary marker for The Shire and its four farthings.

Source: https://thirdeyetraveller.com/st-edwards-church-stow-on-the-wold-door/   You will find videos and more information about these sites on the links above.

This graphic novel is a nice gate into Tolkien's world for you and as a reading book in the classroom. 

The Hobbit, by Chuck Dixon (Adapter), David Wenzel (Illustrator), Sean Deming (Adapter), J.R.R. Tolkien (Creator). Paperback, GraphicNovel, 133 pages

Published November 1st 1990 by Ballantine Books