Kinver Edge in South Staffordshire and its historic rock houses (Hobbit holes) are the most likely source for this inspiration. This is very plausible as during his youth Tolkien lived in nearby Birmingham and often pined for the countryside.
At the time Kinver was a popular day out from the dirty and smoky city.
To the southwest of the village of Kinver are the lofty cliffs known as The Edge. A key feature of this formation is a huge outcrop known as Holy Austin Rock where enterprising people once made their homes by tunneling into the sandstone to create comfortable and weatherproof rooms. Exactly who carved out the first holes remains a mystery.
Similar rock-cut chambers exist at both Bridgnorth and Nesscliffe Hill in the neighbouring county of Shropshire. Both are sited in sandstone cliffs in dense wooded areas and historical accounts acknowledge their existence as early as 790 AD and 1490 AD respectively.
Given the age of these and other nearby examples it is likely that the original Kinver Edge caves were cut as early as 700 AD and probably had a religious significance.
Top image via How Coool.
Middle two images via Lussier Photography.
Bottom image via mouse and muse too.
Via Britain Explorer.
I think they are ALL great. Too bad here in So. Florida, our highest elevation is the I-95 overpass or maybe the land fill in West Palm – but neither would I make into a house.
I would love something like that myself.
There’s a place up in California near Lake Tahoe called Vikingsholme where the widow of a silver baron built a replica Viking longhouse-style construction that mimicked this kind of thing, complete with turf on the roof and all set into a valley so it looked as if it had been merged into the environment.
You can do most everything – IF you have the money.