A little known fact about the Ribble Valley is that J.R.R.
Tolkien was a frequent vistor here and wrote parts of 'Lord of the Rings'
here.South African born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was at the time a Oxford
professor and made frequent visits here between 1942 to 1947.His name has
just been discovered in the Stoneyhurst guest book where it appears many times.Tolkien
found time to write part of the 'Lord of the Rings' in a class room on the
upper gallery at the college.When he was not writing he would take walks around
the area with his son Michael.His son Micheal later taught Classics at Stoneyhurst
in the 1960's and 70's.Because Tolkien was a professor he taught a few lessons
at the college on his visits here.On his walks around the area it has been
suggested that he got some of his inspiration from the countryside aound the
Ribble Valley.Pendle Hill dominates the surrounding area and is associated
with witches and sorcery in the 17th century,inspiration maybe for the Middle
Earths Misty Mountains or the Lonely Mountain.Around Stonyhurst and Hurst
Green there are alot of names of lanes e.t.c. that are familiar in 'The Lord
of the Rings'.Towards the end of his life Tolkien use to stay with his son
in a house belonging to the college afew hundred yards away from St. Mary's
College,in Woodfields.Tolkien had a very strong love of trees and persuaded
his son to plant a copse in the garden,evidence of which can still be seen
to this day.Later on in his life Michael Tolkien moved down the road to Waddington.Another
very famous author associated with Stonyhurst is Sir Auther Conan Doyle who
studied at the college and then went on to create the character 'Sherlock
Holmes',the setting for his book 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' was itself
Stonyhurst College.The above photograph was taken around the 1920's.
