£500k Lord of the Rings Hobbit Homes Built in Wales

A Tolkien-mad couple have spent seven years and half a million pounds turning their fantasy into reality – with three extraordinary Hobbit homes carved into a Welsh hillside.

A couple obsessed with The Lord of the Rings have splashed out a staggering £500,000 to create their very own slice of Middle-earth.

The Tolkien-inspired Hobbit homes are built into the hillside in the Welsh countryside. | Coed Y Ddraig / SWNS

placeholder image — The Tolkien-inspired Hobbit homes are built into the hillside in the Welsh countryside. | Coed Y Ddraig / SWNS

Phil and Sam Kilv spent seven years bringing their fantasy vision to life, painstakingly building three underground Hobbit-style holiday homes into the hills of Mid Wales.

And for Tolkien fans desperate to escape to the Shire, the results are seriously impressive.

Set among woodland on the slopes of the Cambrian Mountains near Tregaron, the properties feature curved architecture, handcrafted interiors, log burners and lavish four-poster beds.

Phil and Sam Kilv spent seven years constructing the Middle-earth inspired properties. | Coed Y Ddraig / SWNS

The first property, Pen y Bag, opened in August, while the two other one-bedroom homes, Rhiw Ty’r Maes and Crucywel, are due to follow later this year.

The adult-only retreats combine fantasy décor with plenty of modern comforts, including Smart TVs, Wi-Fi, underfloor heating and walk-in showers. Pen y Bag can sleep up to four guests and even boasts two bespoke four-poster king-size beds.

Phil, 60, said the couple's love of Tolkien goes back decades, after they read the books to their children while they were growing up.

He said: “It’s been a dream come true to actually build our own Hobbit homes and bring the fantasy on the pages to life.”

The couple, who also run a pirate-themed holiday property, originally dreamed of creating a collection of themed accommodation.

They first transformed an old cow shed into their pirate-themed inn before turning their attention to Middle-earth.

Inside one of the cosy underground retreats, complete with curved architecture | SWNS

Local craftsmen, including blacksmiths, were brought in to create authentic touches, including bespoke bed frames and outdoor thrones.

The homes are also packed with nods to Tolkien’s fictional world. Pen y Bag is themed around the year 1601 of the Third Age – the beginning of the Shire Reckoning.

Sam said the properties had been a “real labour of love”, with Tolkien’s fascination with Wales and the Welsh language providing inspiration.

Now the couple are hoping fantasy fans will flock to their woodland hideaway – where stays start from around £180 a night.

For anyone who has ever dreamed of stepping through a round Hobbit door, this could be about as close as it gets.