Hobbits bring the Shire to Weston Park for unique immersive festival
The Middle Earth experience is the first of its kind in the UK
It’s on the border of Shropshire and Staffordshire but Weston Park has been transformed into a different kind of Shire in recent days.
The grounds of the stately home have been transformed into a scene from JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth for the Brandywine Festival.
The event, which began earlier this week, has seen people coming from across the world to immerse themselves in the idyllic Shire from Lord of the Rings.
The five-day festival features games, activities and workshops, as well as food and drink, all intended to transport the participants to the hobbit habitat of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.
Thankfully there were no orcs or Balrogs to interrupt the calm of the countryside, with organisers previously revealing they chose the location because of Tolkien’s links to the region.
The Brandywine Festival was first launched in Harrodsburg, Kentucky last year by organisers Burgschneider in collaboration with Middle-earth Enterprises, which holds exclusive worldwide rights to film, stage and merchandising for Tolkien's literary works.
The event drew fans from across the United States and the festival’s arrival in the UK has attracted crowds from up and down the country - as well as far further afield.
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