Part three: Kinver Edge rock houses

This clip visits the famous Holy Austin Rock Houses near Stourbridge, where dwellings have been carved into the rock in Hobbit-like burrows. Could they have been an inspiration for Tolkien’s Hobbit holes?

Video Transcription

Okay, well here we are on the lower level of the Holy Austin Rock Houses, we're often asked if these dwellings were an inspiration for Tolkien, and while we don't have any evidence to prove that he was, it is entirely possible that he would have known about these houses, he lived in Birmingham not too far away, and these were an known curiosity to people in the Birmingham area. And although as I say, we don't actually have any proof, there aren't any actual records to indicate in Tolkien's own diaries or writings that he came here, but it is entirely possible.

So the houses behind me here comprise the lower level, lower tier of the Holy Austen Rock Houses, these were where families over several hundred years have burrowed into the rock here to make homes, and it's entirely possible, that as we've said, Tolkien may have been inspired by the dwellings here for his version of Hobbiton.

Of course the area here was a popular tourist spot back in the 1930s when the Lye Railway ran here, people from the Black Country and Birmingham came out to what was known as the little Switzerland, and so it's entirely likely that Tolkien would have certainly seen newspaper articles about the place and would have known about the houses here even if he didn't visit.

We did have the great nephew of Tolkien, Tim Tolkien, come here last season because we wondered whether he might have any more information than we do, and although he didn't, he was interested in the property here and has said he will agree to check with the family solicitors and just make sure that there's nothing known that he could pass on to us.