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Bowland Walks

Tolkien Trail - Hurst Green

16 September 2014

The Tolkien Trail - Hurst Green takes you on a journey through J.R.R. Tolkien's past.  It's easy to see why the area give him inspiration for some parts of 'Lord of the Rings'.

Photos

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Route info

Postcode BB& 9QS
Map Reference

53.836621, -2.479928
Low Point 34 m
High Point 113 m
Distance 10.5 km - 6.5 miles
Difficulty Easy/Medium
Cows Yes
Dogs On leads
Nearby pub Shireburn Arms
Nearby hotel Boot Room - Ribchester

Nearby walk

Tolkien Trail

J.R.R Tolkien wikipedia Hurst Green

Map

Tim writes: (07/05/2020) I did this Tolkien Trail – Hurst Green walk in September 2014.  I recall it being a nice, warm late summer’s day and although I’ve done the walk a few times, today was perhaps my favourite because of the excellent conditions.

This walk is so popular because it is based around J. R. R. Tolkien.  He was notorious for his passion with nature and forests, so the beautiful countryside in and around the Ribble Valley was a perfect setting for him.

It’s easy to see why the area gave him inspiration for ‘Lord of the Rings’, indeed some of the names used in the books can be seen around the area, the most noticeable being ‘Shire Lane’.  The was also a ferry at Hacking Hall (which stopped operating in the 1950’s) which might have given him some inspiration for the ‘Bucklebury Ferry’ in the book.  And it has been said that view from Tom Bombadil's house might be based around New Lodge, which is a building on the grounds of Stonyhurst College.

The walk starts and finishes in Hurst Green, which is a nice little village with a couple of pubs – the most popular being The Shireburn Arms, which also has several rooms.  I stopped for a pint of Guinness and sat in the back garden, here you can admire rolling hills of the Ribble Valley and Pennines in the distance.

This Tolkien Trail – Hurst Green walk is heartily recommended.

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