The Ultimate Lord Of The Rings Tour, UK
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most beloved book series in history. It provides escapism, inspiration and adoration in many.
Visiting the LOTR places linked to your favourite book series can be a really exciting and special experience.
This is why I’ve compiled these Middle Earth locations linked to Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings place names into the Lord of the Rings Tour, UK.
Whilst many of the Lord of the Rings locations people like to visit are part of the Lord of the Rings Tour New Zealand, these are actually only linked to filming locations. The Lord of the Rings Tour takes you to the actual locations that inspired Tolkien when he was writing the series.
This way, you can easily plan your visit to some of the spots that have inspired one of the greatest fictional worlds of all time on a wonderful Lord of the Rings vacation.
Table of Contents
- What is the Lord of the Rings Tour, UK?
- Why you should take the Lord of the Rings Tour, UK?
- The Lord Of The Rings Tour, UK
- Bonus
- Conclusion
What is the Lord of the Rings Tour, UK?
- The Lord of the Rings Tour UK, is a collection of the spots in the UK that are linked to the LOTR places in the book series.
- This is a self guided tour. You are able to adjust the tour and take it at your own pace to get the perfect experience as you visit the Middle Earth locations on your own Lord of the Rings vacation.
- Featured are a number of Lord of the Rings locations in the South West and Midlands and Englands. There are also some bonus Lord of the Rings locations in the North of England.
- There are spots that inspired certain Lord of the Rings locations in the book series, museums that have real life hobbit holes to explore.
- There are also places where Tolkien lived and wrote his novels.
- Comprehensive, self-directed and exciting, this is the best Lord of the Rings tour you could possible take.
Why you should take the Lord of the Rings Tour, UK?
- This is a great way for fans to feel closer to the stories and the author who created them as you immerse yourself in the real places behind the Tolkien place names.
- Fantasy stories like this can provide real comfort and escapism for fans. The opportunity to immerse yourself further into the stories can really enhance the experience.
- It is a wonderful way to explore areas of the UK you may not have otherwise visited. Especially in a way that is meaningful to you and your interests in the Lord of the Rings locations .
- You can learn more about how these stories were created and gain an insight into the inspirations behind them. Learn how the Lord of the Rings town names came out of real places in the UK.
- Once you’ve visited the Lord of the Rings locations, they will strengthen your powers of imagination so you can clearly see the fictional locations in your minds eye as you read the books.
- Overall, it can be a really special and meaningful experience, and to take a whole tour of the UK related to your favourite book series can be a great way to make some really precious memories.
The Lord Of The Rings Tour, UK
1. Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
- This is the most southern out of the Lord of the Rings locations on the tour and a wonderful place to start your journey.
- Cheddar Gorge is a beautiful gorge and cave system in Cheddar just south of Bristol.
- Tolkein first visited here during his honeymoon in 1916.
- The author confirmed himself that this location was the inspiration for Helm’s Deep – one of the iconic Lord of the Rings castles.
- Helm’s Deep is one of the iconic locations used for one of the battles that takes place in The Twin Towers.
- The Gorge is a popular tourist spot and the caves are open for visitors to explore, just as Tolkien did over 100 years ago
Check the Cheddar Gorge website for tickets here.
2. Lydney Park, Gloucestershire
- We are heading slightly north to a stunning and magical forest called Lydney Park.
- This area of forest is a hilly area with many labyrinths and holes running through the landscape.
- There are many different folkloric stories of little people and dwarfs hiding in these labyrinths during a Roman excavation over 2000 years ago.
- It is easy to see how the landscape and stories may have inspired the fictional location of Hobbiton, one of the Hobbit towns from the series.
- We know Tolkien was struck by the location when he worked on it as part of an archaeological dig from his writings in Sir Motimer Wheeler’s book.
- It is not hard to imagine how this may have influenced his fictional writings too, helping to create one of the most iconic Lord of the Rings locations .
Check out the website here for opening times and ticket prices
3. Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswolds
- Now we are heading to the Cotswolds, one of the most beautiful areas in all of England. Specifically, St Edward’s Church, England.
- There is a single door located at this church. This is known to be the most photographed door in the Cotswolds, and on of the most well known Lord of the Rings locations. It is referred to by fans as the Lord of the Rings door.
- Tolkien frequently visited the Cotswolds during the time he was living in Oxford, including St Edward’s Church in Stow onlabyrinths Door of Durin, featured in The Fellowship of The Ring.
- While this is unconfirmed, there are striking similarities between this door and the author’s illustration of the Door of Durin – particularly the yew trees that frame the door from either side.
- This location is free to visit. You can still enter the grounds to view the Lord of the Rings door outside the church when it is past church opening hours.
- You can combine this with the next location to do a very Tolkien Cotswolds in a day trip.
Head over and read my post on the Cotswolds to find out what else is in the area.
4. Moreton-in-Marsh, Cotswolds
- Here we have another Cotswold location that you can easily fit into the same day as St Edward’s Church.
- This is a lovely relaxing one, as you’ll be taking a visit to a pub named The Bell Inn, the iconic Lord of the Rings tavern.
- The author often came drinking here with his brother, as it was halfway between his home in Oxford and his brother’s home in Evesham.
- There is a round corner at the back of this Lord of the Rings inn at which they used to sit, drink and talk.
- There are a number of photos of the author in the room as a tribute to his time here.
- The Bell Inn is supposedly the inspiration for Tolkien’s fictional Lord of the Rings inn, The Prancing Pony. His description of the Lord of the Rings tavern is uncannily similar to the real life Cotswolds one!
- Make sure to look into the Cotswolds walks in the area as this is definitely something you don’t want to miss out on while you’re there.
5. Great Malvern, Worcestershire
- Heading further north again, we arrive in the beautiful spa town of Great Malvern for these Lord of the Rings locations.
- This is where the author used to take trips, walk in the hills, and spend time with close friend C.S. Lewis.
- The top spot to visit here is The Unicorn pub, adorned with a blue plaque to commemorate the times that Tolkien and Lewis would come drinking here.
- If you can, try to grab the seat in the middle window, as this was their favourite spot.
- The town is fairly small so won’t take much time to explore. Just make sure to keep your eyes open for the Bilbo Baggins style hobbit door painted in the town centre!
- The pair also took a number of walks across the stunning Malvern Hills, and this is thought to have partly inspired the iconic Lord of the Rings locations in The Shire.
- A great walk is the one up to the Worcestershire Beacon, the highest point of the hills where you can see all the way over to the Welsh Black Mountains.
Go and read my post on Malvern so you don’t waste a second during your visit.
6. Birmingham
- Birmingham was Tolkien’s childhood home and, therefore, has quite a few areas that were influential to him growing up. These make up the Birmingham Tolkien Trail. These locations then went on to inspire his works later in life.
- The first of these Lord of the Rings locations is Sarehole, which was were the author actually grew up. At Sarehole Mill Museum you will find the Middle Earth Exhibiton, which explains the author’s connection to the spot and how it inspired Middle Earth as part of the Birmingham Tolkien Trail.
- Next on the list is Moseley Bog, said to be the inspiration for the Old Forest where Tom Bombadil lived. This nature reserve on the Birmingham Tolkien Trail has a very mystical feel to it and it’s easy to imagine that you’re in Middle Earth when you visit Moseley Bog.
- Another of these locations on the Birmingham Tolkien Trail is Edgbaston. This is home to Perrott’s Folly and the Edgbaston Waterworks tower, both clear across the skyline. These supposedly inspired the Two Towers of Gondor.
- Finally on the Birmingham Tolkien Trail, we have The Shire Country Park. The clues in the name isn’t it? This nature reserve would have been very familiar to a young Tolkien. It is a stunning place with plenty of wildlife and an amazing atmosphere. This location is extremely closely linked to the series. If you visit one spot on the Birmingham Tolkien Trail, it should be this one.
7. Oxford
- This is the most significant location connected to Tolkien and his work outside of Birmingham. There are many different Lord of the Rings locations to visit, however they are all in walkable distance so easy to fit into a couple of days.
- Many of these locations showcase stunning and grand architecture, reminiscent of the glorious Elven kingdom from Lord of the Rings.
- This is where he went to university, taught as a lecturer, met his close friend group of writers known as The Inklings, and spent the majority of his adult life.
- Oxford is also the location in which the annual Tolkien Society holds its convention for fans of the author.
Oxford Locations Linked To Middle Earth Locations#
- Head to the Bodliean Library to view their large Lord of the Rings collection, including original manuscripts and drawings.
- Opposite is the Radcliffe Camera, a round building that provided the inspiration for Sauron’s temple.
- The Botanic Gardens is another great place to head, a favourite spot of Tolkien’s. The amazing trees here are sure to have inspired the trees in his novels.
- Merton College is the college at which the author used to teach, and is open for the public to browse. This is an amazing spot to gain an insight into the author’s day to day life.
- The Ashmoleon Museum, whilst not directly connected to the author’s history is home to a collection of Posie rings – golden wrings with inscriptions around the band. It is easy to imagine how these may have inspired the writer
- The Eagle and Child is one of the locations most famously connected to Tolkien. This is where he and his friends, known as The Inklings, used to drink, talk, and share their work with each other.
- A great place to end your tour of Oxford is Wolvercote Cemetary, the final resting place of Tolkien and his wife. Their shared headstone even has a reference to the love story of Luthien and Beren.
If you want to explore more, check out my Self Guided C.S. Lewis Tour of Oxford. The two authors were close friends, and both authors are linked to most of the spots on this list.
Basically, any location that mentions The Inklings is linked to both authors and the rest of their friendship group too.
Bonus Lord of the Rings Locations
Most of the Lord of the Rings locations on the list are based around the South West and the Midlands, as this is where Tolkien spent the majority of his life. This makes for a convenient tour with lots of locations close together.
However, if you’re super dedicated, you can also visit some locations in the North of England to extend your Lord of the Rings Tour, UK.
You can visit all the more southern locations and then head up to the northern Lord of the Rings locations .
Or, you can drive up from Birmingham and drive back down to Oxford to create more of a circular route that ends near London.
Or, you can begin with these spots and head back down to take the rest of the tour. Whatever works best for you.
8. Ribble Valley, Lancashire
- The author certainly spent a significant amount of time at Stonyhurst College during the Second World War.
- He spent a lot of time working on Lord of the Rings while he was here.
- This is another location that inspired the iconic location of The Shire.
- This is due to it’s rolling landscapes, as well as nearby Shire Lane and a pub called The Shireburn Arms.
- The Shireburn Arms inspired the name of the fictional Shirebourne River. It is also the start of a dedicated walk known as “The Tolkein Trail”.
- This takes you along a circular walk where you can see the local landscapes that inspired the walker’s writings.
Take a look at this page for an in depth description of the route.
Check Out The Stunning Sights of The Tolkien Trail
With some breathtaking views, The Tolkien Trail is one of the most wonderful locations on this list.
Check out this amazing video by The Travelling Taylors, which shows just how amazing the views are on this walk.
Trust me, you won’t be able to resist after you’ve seen this.
9. Roos, Yorkshire
- A trip to Roos can give a lovely insight into the more personal life of the writer and his relationship with his wife.
- Tolkiens wife, Edith, danced and sang in a “Hemlock glade” for her husband here, and it stayed with him all his life.
- This was the inspiration for ‘The Tale of Tinúviel’, which evolved into the story of Luthien and Beren.
- The story was so significant to the couple that the elven character’s names and engraved next to their own on their gravestone.
- Dents Garth and Roos Churchyard are the most likely locations for where the dance took place, and are both open for you to visit.
- They are both magical spots, filled with Cow Parsley (a lot safer than what Tolkien supposed to be Hemlock, and make for beautiful and profound places to take a visit.
Conclusion to the Lord of the Rings Tour UK
These are the ultimate places to head if you’re a fan of this wonderful book series. You will have some great fun exploring these fantastic locations, and it can make for a really unique way to explore some spots over the UK.
If you want to discover more literary locations across the UK that are linked to other authors and their works, check out my post on the Best Literary Locations in the UK.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy your journey.
Ta-ta for now! x
