JRR Tolkien’s Hobbiton, Inside a Hobbit House

by Brenda S. Cox

“The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats- the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on – going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill – The Hill, as all the people for many miles around called it – and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another.”–The Hobbit

We’re continuing our detour into New Zealand’s Hobbiton, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. (I promise we’ll return to Jane Austen soon.) Last week we saw the outsides of many hobbit homes, especially ones where different occupations were being practiced.

That’s all marvelous in itself, but when visitors came to Hobbiton, they kept asking if they could go into one of the hobbit holes. So, not long ago, two hobbit holes were furnished and opened to those touring Hobbiton. We took the full evening tour, which ended with a banquet at the Green Dragon. It was all enchanting. Here are some highlights:

“No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden, and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river.”–The Hobbit

I kept longing to have my grandchildren with me; they would have adored it all as much as I did! The detail and accuracy was incredible.

But eventually we had to leave and go to the Green Dragon for supper. They offered quite a feast. Even though I have multiple allergies I could eat most of what they offered, and the hostess was great at pointing out things I could substitute for those few items I had to avoid.

I hope you have enjoyed our excursion to the world of another great English Christian writer, J.R.R. Tolkien!

“I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you…. There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself.”–Gandalf says this of the hobbit. May God show you how much more is in you than you have any idea of!

All photos © Brenda S. Cox, 2025

My friends, I am experimenting with darker fonts in this post for easier readability. Tell me what you think; do you like the darker print in this post above, or the lighter print as in this paragraph and in the caption for the photo of the bunk beds above?

You might also enjoy:

Tolkein’s Hobbiton, part 1

A Hobbit Devotional

10 J.R.R. Tolkien Quotes that Remind Us of Scripture (links to articles and books on Tolkien’s faith at the end)

A video behind-the-scenes tour of Hobbiton

Another photo tour of Hobbiton

For more about my trip to Australia and New Zealand last year, see Visiting Janeites Down Under.