Join me as we go along the Tolkien Way from Cromwell’s Bridge to the Shireburn. (Copyright & blocked in 2 regions - you know where!)
J.R.R. Tolkien spent significant time at Stonyhurst College in Lancashire during the 1940s, visiting his son John, who was training for the priesthood there during WWII. He wrote parts of The Lord of the Rings while staying at New Lodge and drew inspiration from the local Ribble Valley landscape, influencing names like Shire Lane.
The landscape around Hurst Green and Stonyhurst is closely linked to The Lord of the Rings. Local landmarks, including the River Shirebourn (River Ribble) and Cromwell Bridge, are believed to have influenced Middle-earth.
Tolkien was also known to spend time studying and writing in the Stonyhurst College library, which holds a rich collection of rare books and manuscripts, similar to what he would have used in Oxford.
People come from all over the world to walk the famous Tolkien Trail. To follow in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien himself and see how he was inspired by the beautiful landscape of Lancashire.
Paul.