A Visit to Hobbiton "The Shire"

A section of the Alexander ranch outside the Shire.

Details often show the occupation of the Hobbit owners.
This was the Baker's and had sample wares. On the left was
a selection of preserves and honey.

Looking down from Bag End to the pond, Mill and the Green Dragon Inn

This post is mostly made up of photos. It was hard to chose which ones to include - there were so many great ones. But here's some info about the history.  The Alexander family moved to this 1,200 acre farm in 1978 and ran it as a livestock ranch with sheep and cattle. In 1998 Peter Jackson and Set Designer Alan Lee saw the property from a helicopter and recognized it's potential. After negotiations, they constructed the Shire - including road access and  hobbit holes, gardens, hedges, a double arched bridge, Mill, and a huge tree. It wasn't built to last and was cut down and restored to it's original condition after filming.

Two photos of Bag End, Bilbo & Frodo's home and the lalrgest
of the Hobbit holes.

But then, the filming of the Hobbit trilogy was approved and further negotiations with the Alexander family resulted in it's being built in a permanent form. The Alexander family run the extensive business today with tours, and events. There are now 44 hobbit holes, two of which are open to the public and fully furnished and a replica of the Green Dragon Inn with a restaurant. 

The living room was so cozy with a fire burning!

The main bedroom with Scott looking like Gandalf
in Bag End (for sizing)

Could two young hobbits have a nicer bedroom??

A Hobbit's larder is very well supplied as the
sudden descent of the Dwarves resulted in
a fine meal!

The kitchen looked ready to provide a banquet!

Scott and I booked the first two hour tour of the day months ago and it was amazing. We were the first group on the hill so had it to ourselves at first. Our guide was fun and knowledgeable and we had plenty of time to explore and take photos. It is very beautiful and so well done. You feel like you could live there and easily imagine the hobbits doing so! And as you can see, the day was glorious with bright sunshine and about 73 degrees. Heaven - only wish we could have stayed much longer. That's all for this entry - next one we'll be in Wellington!

The bridge over the Mill run to the Green Dragon Inn

The Green Dragon Inn, now providing Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Lunch, Tea and that's it for now (unless you are here for a special event)

Looking up from the Green Dragon at Hobbiton.

The Mill - now an event space.