Hobbiton Movie Set

Movie Set / Tourist Attraction in Waikato, New Zealand

Hobbiton

Movie Set / Tourist Attraction

A small Waterhouse opposite to the Green Dragon Inn

Hobbiton

Hobbiton's location within New Zealand

Show map of New Zealand

Hobbiton

Hobbiton (North Island)

Show map of North Island

Coordinates: 37°51′27″S 175°40′47″E﻿ / ﻿37.85750°S 175.67972°E﻿ / -37.85750; 175.67972
Country| New Zealand
Region| Waikato
Territorial authority| Matamata-Piako District

The Hobbiton Movie Set[1] is a significant location used for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film trilogy, serving as a stand-in for the town of Hobbiton in the Shire in both trilogies. It is situated on a family-run farm about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of Hinuera and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of Matamata, in Waikato, New Zealand, and is now a Tolkien tourism destination, offering a guided tour of the set.

## Pre-film set history

[edit]

The geology of the area is that of the Hinuera Formation, a group of alluvial silts, sands and gravels laid down in the Last Glacial Period.[2] Originally largely marshland, it was transformed in the 19th century by a large-scale drainage scheme and is now fertile agricultural land and a major racehorse breeding area.[3]

The Alexander family moved to the 500-hectare (1,200-acre) property of rolling grassland where the set is located in 1978. Since then it has been a livestock ranch with 13,000 sheep and 300 Angus beef cattle. The main sources of income from farming are mutton, wool and beef.[3][4]

## The Lord of the Rings

[edit]

When Peter Jackson began to look for suitable locations for The Lord of the Rings film series,[5] he first saw the Alexander Farm during an aerial search[4] in 1998[6] and concluded that the area was "like a slice of ancient England".[5] Set Decorator Alan Lee commented that the location's hills "looked as though Hobbits had already begun excavations".[7] Part of the site has a lake with a long arm that could double as a river.[7]

The exterior of Bag End in 2006 before its 2010 make-over

After suitable negotiations with the owners, work commenced in transforming part of the farm into sets for Hobbiton and other parts of J. R. R. Tolkien's Shire in March 1999.[4] The New Zealand Army brought in heavy equipment to make 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) of road into the site from the nearest local road and initial ground works. Further work included building the facades for 37 hobbit holes and associated gardens and hedges, a mill and double arch bridge, and erecting a 26-tonne (29-ton) oak above Bag End that was cut down near Matamata and recreated on site, complete with artificial leaves. Thatch on the pub and mill roofs was made from rushes growing on the farm. Generators were installed and water and sewage also had to be considered. Catering was made available for up to 400 cast, crew and visitors per day.[2][4]

Jackson wrote: "I knew Hobbiton needed to be warm, comfortable and feel lived in. By letting the weeds grow through the cracks and establishing hedges and little gardens a year before filming, we ended up with an incredibly real place, not just a film set".[5] Lee commented that "it was satisfying to see that it had taken on something of the look of the Devonshire countryside I'd lived in for the past twenty-five years".[7]

## Filming The Hobbit

[edit]

The original set was not built to last, the hobbit hole facades having been constructed from untreated timber, ply and polystyrene and partially torn down after filming.[8] In 2010, the set was rebuilt in a more permanent fashion for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,[6][9] filming for which began in 2011.[10] Ian McKellen reprised his role as Gandalf the Grey and was joined on the Hobbiton location by Martin Freeman, who remarked that the site "just looked like a place where people lived and where people worked".[6]

## Visitor centre

[edit]

Guided tours of the 5.5 hectares (14 acres) movie set site commenced in 2002[11] and continue to be provided daily. The two-hour excursion is very popular, and advance bookings are recommended.[2][11][12]

Highlights of the tour include Bagshot Row, the Party Tree, and Bilbo's Bag End home. There are now 44 hobbit holes on view[11][13] although it is only possible to enter a few of them, some of which have small, unfinished, earth-walled interiors and some are fully furnished hobbit hole interiors opened as of the 1st of December 2024 .[14] (The interior of Bag End was shot in a studio in Wellington).[15] The hobbit holes on site have been designed and built to one of three different scales. In addition to the smallest ones built to the correct size (hobbits are smaller than humans), some are built to a larger scale to make the hobbit actors appear smaller, and some have been constructed in a "dwarf" scale for scenes containing dwarves. Apart from a few exceptions, the colour of the front door indicates the scale, for example hobbit holes with a blue door are built to the correct scale for humans.

Refreshments are available at "The Shires Rest Cafe" prior to or after tours. Breakfast and indeed "Second Breakfast" is served.[16] In 2012 the "Green Dragon" inn (a replica of the Green Dragon that featured in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies) was opened on the set.[17] There is now also a store selling merchandise and souvenirs adjacent to the cafe and evening events commenced in 2014. The tours have generally received good reviews.[18][19] In 2013 the set welcomed its 500,000th guest.[11][1]

In December 2023 new holes were opened to the public, which took nine months to complete.[20]

* Peter Jackson said of the set, "It felt as if you could open the circular green door of Bag End and find Bilbo Baggins inside".[5]

* Hobbit holes overlooking the lake on the set

* Hobbiton mill and double-arched bridge

* Interior of the Green Dragon inn

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Home". Hobbiton Movie Set Tours. Retrieved 24 January 2015
2. ^ a b c Brodie (2004) p. 33
3. ^ a b Brodie (2004) p. 32
4. ^ a b c d "About Us" Archived 24 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Hobbiton Movie Set Tours. Retrieved 24 January 2015
5. ^ a b c d Brodie (2004) Foreword
6. ^ a b c New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth. (19 Mar 2013). Go New Zealand. (Available on YouTube).
7. ^ a b c Brodie (2004) p. 19
8. ^ "Our Story". Hobbiton Movie Set. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
9. ^ "The Hobbit Trilogy filming locations". Go New Zealand. Retrieved 25 January 2015
10. ^ Trumbore, Dave (20 March 2011). "Production Officially Begins on Peter Jackson's ''The Hobbit; Plus Two New Images and the Official Synopsis". Collider. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
11. ^ a b c d "Our Tours" Archived 14 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine Hobbiton Movie Set Tours. Retrieved 24 January 2015
12. ^ "Hobbiton Movie Set Tours" Tourism New Zealand. Retrieved 24 January 2015
13. ^ "Hobbiton Express Tour from Auckland". Go New Zealand. Retrieved 24 January 2015
14. ^ "FAQ" Archived 20 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Hobbiton Movie Set Tours. Retrieved 25 January 2015
15. ^ Roberts, Susan (2 October 2014) "A Day at Hobbiton". The Scribbling Scribes. Retrieved 26 January 2015
16. ^ "The Shires Rest Cafe" Archived 20 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Hobbiton Movie Set Tours. Retrieved 24 January 2015
17. ^ Hawes, Rexine; Bain, Mike (13 February 2017). "Hobbiton movie set could continue to attract new generations of tourists". Stuff. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
18. ^ Rawlings-Way et al (2008) p. 50
19. ^ "A Tolkien fan's paradise - Review of Hobbiton Movie Set, Hinuera, New Zealand". Tripadvisor.
20. ^ "An inside look at the new attraction opening at Hobbiton". 1 News. Retrieved 3 December 2023.

## Bibliography

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Shire location.

* Ian Brodie (2004) The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook. (Extended Edition). HarperCollins. Auckland.
* Charles Rawlings-Way, Brett Atkinson, Sarah Bennett, Peter Dragicevich and Errol Hunt (2008) Lonely Planet New Zealand. Lonely Planet. Melbourne.

* v
* t
* e

Places associated with Tolkien tourism

Film locations
(New Zealand)|

| North Island|

| Waikato|

* Hobbiton Movie Set
* The Shire
* Mount Ngauruhoe
* Mount Doom

|

Manawatū-Whanganui|

* Mangawhero River
* Ithilien
* Mount Ruapehu
* Gates of Mordor
* Rangipo Desert
* Gates of Mordor
* Rangitīkei River
* River Anduin
* Tongariro National Park
* Emyn Muil
* Whakapapa skifield
* Mordor

Wellington|

* Kaitoke Regional Park
* Rivendell and the Fords of Isen
* Mount Victoria
* Escaping the Shire and Dunharrow
* Pūtangirua Pinnacles
* Dimholt Road
* Wētā Workshop

South Island|

| Nelson|

* Mount Olympus, Kahurangi National Park
* Outcrop south of Rivendell
* Tākaka Hill
* Chetwood

|

Tasman|

* Mount Owen
* Dimrill Dale

Canterbury|

* Mount Sunday, Mount Potts station
* Edoras
* Twizel
* Pelennor Fields

Otago|

* Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu
* Isengard, Lothlórien and Amon Hen
* Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge
* The Argonath
* Mount Aspiring National Park
* Isengard
* Skippers Canyon
* Ford of Bruinen
* The Remarkables
* Misty Mountains
* Twelve Mile Delta, Queenstown
* Ithilien camp

Westland|

* Mount Gunn, Franz Josef Glacier
* Ered Nimrais

Southland|

* Kepler Mire
* Dead Marshes
* Mavora Lakes
* Nen Hithoel, Fangorn, Silverlode River and River Anduin
* Snowdon Forest
* Fangorn
* Waiau River
* River Anduin

Locations
associated
with Tolkien|

| United Kingdom|

| Oxford|

* The Eagle and Child
* Exeter College
* Merton College
* Pembroke College
* Northmoor Road
* Wolvercote Cemetery

|

Birmingham|

* Birmingham Oratory
* Sarehole Mill

Worcestershire|

* Malvern Hills

Switzerland|

* Jenins
* Lauterbrunnen

See also
Tolkien Societies
J. R. R. Tolkien

* v
* t
* e

Middle-earth film franchise

* Middle-earth in motion pictures

The Lord of the Rings
film trilogy|

| Films|

* The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
* The Two Towers (2002)
* The Return of the King (2003)

|

Music|

| Soundtracks|

* The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
* The Two Towers (2002)
* The Return of the King (2003)

|

Songs|

* "Concerning Hobbits" ("They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard")
* "In Dreams"
* "May It Be"
* "Requiem for a Tower"
* "A Walking Song"
* "Into the West"

Production|

* Peter Jackson's interpretation
* Original characters (Figwit)
* Accolades
* The Exhibition
* The Long and Short of It

The Hobbit
film trilogy|

| Films|

* An Unexpected Journey (2012)
* The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
* The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

|

Production|

* Original characters
* Tauriel
* Music
* "I See Fire"
* Accolades

Other films|

* The War of the Rohirrim (2024)

Video games|

* The Two Towers
* The Return of the King
* The Third Age
* Game Boy Advance
* The Battle for Middle-earth
* Tactics
* The Battle for Middle-earth II
* The Rise of the Witch-king
* Conquest
* Aragorn's Quest
* War in the North
* Lego The Lord of the Rings
* Guardians of Middle-earth
* Lego The Hobbit
* Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
* Middle-earth: Shadow of War

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Middle-earth in motion pictures

Middle-earth Enterprises

Animation|

* The Hobbit (1967)
* The Hobbit (1977)
* The Lord of the Rings (1978)
* The Return of the King (1980)
* The War of the Rohirrim (2024)

Live-action|

| Peter
Jackson
film
series|

| The Lord
of the Rings|

| Films|

* The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
* The Two Towers (2002)
* The Return of the King (2003)

|

Aspects|

* Accolades
* Peter Jackson's interpretation
* Music
* Production

The Hobbit|

| Films|

* An Unexpected Journey (2012)
* The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
* The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

|

Aspects|

* Accolades
* Original characters
* Music

Television|

| TV films|

* Sagan om ringen (1971)
* The Hobbit (1985)
* Khraniteli (1991)

|

Series|

* Hobitit (1993)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022–present)
* music

Fan films|

* The Hunt for Gollum (2009)
* Born of Hope (2009)

* Category

* v
* t
* e

The Lord of the Rings

* J. R. R. Tolkien
* Constructing The Lord of the Rings

About|

* Volumes
* The Fellowship of the Ring
* The Two Towers
* The Return of the King
* Stories
* "The Shadow of the Past"
* "The Council of Elrond"
* "The Scouring of the Shire"
* "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
* Translating
* List of translations
* Swedish
* Reception
* Impact
* Literary
* Fandom
* Fan fiction
* Oxonmoot
* Tolkienmoot
* Works inspired
* Tolkien's impact on fantasy

Analysis|

| Elements|

* Artwork
* Company of the Ring
* Family trees
* Heraldry
* Languages
* Black Speech
* Elvish
* Quenya
* Sindarin
* Khuzdul
* Maps
* Poetry
* A Elbereth Gilthoniel
* Namárië
* Song of Eärendil
* The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late
* The Road Goes Ever On
* A Walking Song
* Proverbs

|

Themes|

* Addiction to power
* Ancestry as guide to character
* Architecture
* Christianity
* Death and immortality
* Decline and fall
* Dreams and visions
* Economy
* England
* Environmentalism
* Evil
* Forests
* Hell
* Heroism
* Luck and fate
* Magic
* Mental illness
* Moral dilemma
* Music
* Naming of weapons
* Northern courage
* Paganism
* Plants
* Psychological journeys
* Quests
* Race
* Sexuality
* Sound and language
* Time
* Trees
* Women

Influences|

* Antiquarianism
* Beowulf
* Celtic
* Classical world
* First World War
* Norse
* Medieval
* Modern sources
* Modernism
* A mythology for England
* Philology
* Shakespeare

Techniques|

* Anachronism
* Character pairing
* Editorial framing
* Frame stories
* Pseudotranslation
* Impression of depth
* Narrative structure
* Interlacing
* Storytelling
* Prose style
* Ambiguity
* Epic Pooh

Peoples|

| Maiar|

* Balrogs
* Sauron
* Wizards
* Gandalf
* Radagast
* Saruman

|

Free
peoples|

* Dwarves
* Balin
* Gimli
* Elves
* Galadriel
* Glorfindel
* Half-elven
* Arwen
* Elrond
* Legolas
* Thranduil
* Ents
* Treebeard
* Hobbits
* Bilbo
* Frodo
* Merry
* Pippin
* Sam
* Men
* Beornings
* Drúedain
* Dúnedain
* Aragorn
* of Gondor
* Boromir
* Denethor
* Faramir
* of Rohan
* Éomer
* Éowyn
* Théoden
* Wormtongue

Monsters|

* Barrow-wight
* Gollum
* Nazgûl
* Witch-king of Angmar
* Old Man Willow
* Orcs
* Shelob
* Trolls
* Wargs
* Watcher in the Water

Other|

* Eagles
* Goldberry
* Tom Bombadil

World|

| Geography|

* Eriador
* Bree
* Old Forest
* Rivendell
* The Shire
* Bag End
* Gondor
* Harad
* Lothlórien
* Mirkwood
* Moria
* Mordor
* Rohan
* Isengard

|

Battles|

* Helm's Deep
* Pelennor Fields
* Morannon

Things|

* Mithril
* Oliphaunts
* Palantírs
* Phial of Galadriel
* Rings of Power
* One Ring
* List of weapons and armour

Related
works|

* The Hobbit
* The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
* Errantry
* Fastitocalon
* The Sea-Bell
* The Road Goes Ever On
* Bilbo's Last Song
* The Silmarillion
* Unfinished Tales
* The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
* The History of Middle-earth
* The Children of Húrin
* The History of The Hobbit
* Beren and Lúthien
* The Fall of Gondolin
* The Nature of Middle-earth

Adaptations and derivative works

Books|

* Bored of the Rings (1969)
* The Last Ringbearer (1999)
* Muddle Earth (2003)

Illustrations|

* A Map of Middle-earth
* Pauline Baynes
* Barbara Remington
* John Howe
* Alan Lee
* Margrethe II of Denmark
* Ted Nasmith

Theatre|

* Fellowship! (2005)
* Lord of the Rings (2006)

Music|

* Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings (1972)
* Symphony No. 1 The Lord of the Rings (1988)
* Led Zeppelin
* "Ramble On" (1969)
* "Misty Mountain Hop" (1971)
* "The Battle of Evermore" (1971)

Radio|

* The Lord of the Rings (BBC, 1955)
* The Lord of the Rings (NPR, 1979)
* Hordes of the Things (1980)
* The Lord of the Rings (BBC, 1981)
* Der Herr der Ringe (1992)

Film|

| Animated|

* The Lord of the Rings (Bakshi, 1978)
* The Return of the King (Rankin/Bass, 1980)
* The War of the Rohirrim (Kamiyama, 2024)

|

Peter Jackson
series|

* The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
* The Two Towers (2002)
* The Return of the King (2003)

Music|

* "Concerning Hobbits"
* "Into the West"
* "May It Be"

Approach|

* Production
* Hobbiton Movie Set
* Peter Jackson's interpretation
* Picturing Tolkien
* Tolkien on Film

Other|

* Sagan om ringen (1971)
* Khraniteli (1991)
* Hobitit (1993)
* The Rings of Power (2022)
* music

Fan-made|

* The Hunt for Gollum (2009)
* Born of Hope (2009)

Video games|

* Journey to Rivendell
* Game One
* Game Two: Shadows of Mordor
* War in Middle Earth
* Vol. I (1990)
* Vol. I (SNES)
* Riders of Rohan
* Elendor
* Vol. II: The Two Towers
* The Fellowship of the Ring
* The Two Towers
* The Return of the King
* War of the Ring
* The Third Age
* Game Boy Advance
* The Battle for Middle-earth
* Tactics
* The Battle for Middle-earth II
* The Rise of the Witch-king
* Conquest
* Aragorn's Quest
* War in the North
* Lego The Lord of the Rings
* Guardians of Middle-earth
* Shadow of Mordor
* Shadow of War
* Gollum
* Return to Moria

| The Lord of the Rings Online|

* Mines of Moria
* Siege of Mirkwood
* Rise of Isengard
* Riders of Rohan
* Helm's Deep
* Mordor
* Minas Morgul
* War of Three Peaks
* Fate of Gundabad
* Before the Shadow

|

Tabletop role-
playing games|

* Middle-earth Role Playing
* The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game
* The One Ring Roleplaying Game
* Adventures in Middle-earth

Board games|

* Middle Earth
* War of the Ring
* Gondor: The Siege of Minas Tirith
* Sauron
* Lord of the Rings
* War of the Ring

Card games|

* Middle-earth Collectible Card Game
* The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game
* The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

Other games|

* Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game
* Lego The Lord of the Rings

* v
* t
* e

Matamata-Piako District, New Zealand

Seat: Te Aroha

Populated places|

| Matamata Ward|

* Hinuera
* Matamata
* Okauia
* Te Poi
* Waharoa
* Walton

|

Morrinsville Ward|

* Kiwitahi
* Mangateparu
* Morrinsville
* Motumaoho
* Tahuna
* Tatuanui

Te Aroha Ward|

* Manawaru
* Ngarua
* Springdale
* Te Aroha
* Waihou
* Waitoa

Geographic features|

* Kaimai Range

Facilities and attractions|

* Piako County Tramway
* Piako railway station
* Hobbiton Movie Set
* Matamata Airport
* Morrinsville Recreation Ground
* Piako railway station
* Rukumoana Marae
* Tui mine

Government|

* District Council
* Mayor
* Regional Council

Organisations|

* Matamata College
* Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu

Sport|

* Matamata Swifts (soccer)

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