The second homestead visited by your ever-travelling reporters is the one in the Shire. Nestled at the border to the Southfarthing between Tookland and Michel Delving, the area is perfect for growing garden crops, fishing in the lakes and streams or just lazing in the afternoon sun in the long and mild summers.
Enter and see for yourself how the Hobbits live!
 A mushroom growing tent in the Shire Homesteads. |
 A kinship hole in the Shire homesteads. |
 The Party Tree and Lawn in the Shire Homesteads at dusk. |
The neighbourhood is hidden from curious eyes by a big, well-kept hedge. Entering through the round door and following Wendig Way westwards, you see that it’s really a small vale encircled on all sides by small hills.
Outside, there are some attractions as well, such as a horse-riding course and a small lake for the hobbit-kids to swim in.
 The entrance to the Shire Homesteads. |
 The entrance to the Shire Homesteads. |
 A map of the Shire Homesteads. |
The hole in the hedge is in the middle of the east border of the neighbourhood. Going straight ahead, you will find a small lake with an island that houses a ceremonial stage.
 An island in the lake, Shire Homesteads. |
 An island in the lake, Shire Homesteads. |
 An island in the lake, Shire Homesteads. |
 An island in the lake, Shire Homesteads. |
 An island in the lake, Shire Homesteads. |
If you instead turn south and follow either Pleasant street or the street along the east side of the river, you will come to a little market square, adjacent to the party lawn where decorated trees and tables await hungry Hobbit-partygoers.
 The Party Tree and Lawn in the Shire Homesteads at dusk. |
The Party Tree and Lawn in the Shire Homesteads at dusk. |
 The Party Tree and Lawn in the Shire Homesteads at dusk. |
 The Party lawn and tree in the Shire Homesteads. |
Nestled in the southeast corner of the neighbourhood is Myrtle Court, a small roundabout housing the first kin hole on our tour and a very representative view of Hobbit housing. The court is overlooked by a huge old oak, at the base of which you can see the neighbourhood children playing or listening to stories most days if it isn’t raining!
 A view of Myrtle Court in the Shire Homesteads. |
 A Hobbit-Hole in the Shire Homesteads. |
 A Hobbit hole in the Shire Homesteads. |
 A view of Myrtle Court in the Shire Homesteads. |
 A kinship hole in the Shire homesteads, 4 Myrtle Court. |
 The Kinship hole at 4 Myrtle Court at night. |
 The Kinship hole at 4 Myrtle Court and a mushroom growing tent. |
A mushroom growing tent in the Shire Homesteads. |
Hobbits pride themselves on gardening and growing things. So even in the living areas, many Hobbits and Hobbit-kins like to grow their own food in their gardens. You will never find an area so rich in flowerbeds, vegetable gardens, and even mushroom growing tents outside the Shire!
If you turn west at Myrtle court and cross the stream you will come to an area rich in fields and barns. All the best Hobbit farmers will be glad to settle there!
The Kin-hole in the Southwest corner overlooks sprawling fields and barns, perfect for a trading union who wants to settle close to the production!
 A little mill along the stream in the Shire Homesteads. (not for sale) |
 A river crossing near the waterfall in Shire Homesteads. |
 Fields and barns in the Shire Homesteads. |
 A kinship hole in the Shire homesteads (Harrow Road). |
 A Hobbit-hole in the Shire homesteads. |
 Meadows in the Shire Homesteads. |
You can now turn back north along the eastern border and follow Harrow Road to its end. Or, if you prefer, you can walk along the river on the picturesque Brookbank street, passing the third Kinship Hole in the homesteads.
Either way, you will curve back towards Chalk Road on the northern border, passing the lake from the north side this time. The last kinship hole (confusingly considered to be situated on Wendig Way) lies directly at the end of Chalk Road in a somewhat hilly area, nestled in the northwest corner.
 A kinship hole in the Shire homesteads (Brookbank Street). |
 A view along a road in the Shire Homesteads. |
A kinship hole in the Shire homesteads (Wendig Way). |
 A view along a road in the Shire Homesteads. |
This concludes our first round of the Shire neighbourhoods. As always, I hope you liked it and see you next month!
((I’m going to have to do a second tour of this neighbourhood some time. It’s so pretty and there’s just too much to take photos of to fit into one post! There’s some really stunning views around Harrow Road and Chalk Road I simply didn’t get around to visit this time. And I had some more shots that were taken with aftereffects off so the water looks silly…))
