J.R.R. Tolkien's Oxford and Stonehenge Private Tour

Wolvercote Cemetery is in the parish of Wolvercote, Oxford, England. Its main entrance is on Banbury Road and it has a side entrance in Five Mile Drive. It has a funeral chapel and public toilets. The cemetery was opened in 1889 and now contains more than 15,000 burials. The grave of JRR and Edith Tolkien is one of the graves in the cemetery. When it was time for him to join Edith in ‘Middle-earth’ in September 1973 (aged 81), Tolkien was buried in the same grave in Wolvercote Cemetery, which is about 1¾ miles further north than Tolkien’s former homes in Northmoor Road. The grave bears not only the names of husband and wife but also Beren (male) and Lúthien (female), characters and lovers from ‘The Silmarillion’. It seems that Tolkien was just an old romantic. In fiction, Beren is killed but restored to life as a result of Lúthien’s pleading. In reality, there was no ‘second-coming’ for JRR perhaps because his real Lúthien had already predeceased him.

In Oxford, perhaps the most famous resident of Northmoor Road was the Oxford academic and author J. R. R. Tolkien. He lived at No. 22 in 1926–30 and then a larger house at No. 20 in 1930–47. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and most of The Lord of the Rings while living at 20 Northmoor Road. There is now a blue plaque on the house. After Wolvercote Cemetery, we will visit both his houses in Oxford.

JRR Tolkien matriculated (formally entered Exeter College) on 17 October 1911, aged 19, as an exhibitioner in Classics. He changed course to English Language and Literature graduating in 1915 with first class Honours. In 1914 Tolkien was awarded the college’s Skeat prize for English and the Library has acquired the book presented to him Some Hints on Pattern Designing by William Morris, another Exeter College alumnus. Exeter College Archives has information about his matriculation, tuition and accommodation at College, with details of scholarships and examination results. Loans from the college library included an annotated Finnish grammar, now in the Library special collections. He participated in the College’s 600th-anniversary celebrations in 1914, and was a prominent member of the college’s debating society, the Stapeldon Society, and Essay Club.

Pembroke College is an important venue in his career. Tolkien returned to Oxford before 1925. This time he would shift to the other side of the fence, still entrenched in academia, but as a professor, becoming firstly, a professor of Anglo-Saxon (1925-45), then of English Language and Literature (1945-59). That first spell of 20 years, immersed in Anglo-Saxon, was at Pembroke College, where Tolkien held a fellowship. He had also begun some private tutoring from mid-1919, including undergraduates at the all-women (at the time) colleges of Lady Margaret Hall and St Hugh’s College. Tolkien would busy himself with writing too. It was during the Pembroke years that he’d write ‘The Hobbit’ and the first two volumes of ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

In 1945, Tolkien moved to Merton College where he was a Professor of English Language and Literature until 1959 when he retired aged 67. It was during the Merton years that Tolkien finished the last part of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ (1948), close to a decade after he’d first begun sketching the stories. Getting things finished quickly was never a trait of his.

Christ Church is one of the famous colleges in Oxford. The School of many British Prime Ministers was founded by Henry VIII, where the Chapel of the college doubled as the Cathedral of the city. The Grand Hall of the Harry Potter films was filmed in three different spots. On the walls there are portraits of alumni–Prime Ministers, churchmen and philosophers; and Alice in Wonderland writer Lewis Carroll was teaching at the university. Our APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides will tell you all interesting stories about Christ Church.

Completed in 1737, this domed classical building forms the hub of architectural Oxford and is considered one of England's earliest examples of a round library. Funded by Dr John Radcliffe, designed by James Gibbs and built between 1737 and 1748, this grand circular building in the middle of Radcliffe Square is an iconic landmark in Oxford and a working library. The domed classical building is considered to be one of England's earliest examples of a round library. Public access is restricted to tours only.

The Bodleian Library is a working library which forms part of the University of Oxford. It is housed in a remarkable group of buildings which forms the historic heart of the University, and you can explore the quadrangles of these magnificent structures at no charge. Some of the buildings, such as the University’s oldest teaching and examination room, The Divinity School (built 1427-88) are where you will discover more of the University’s fascinating history by Tourope UK's APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides telling behind the scenes in the Library, including its oldest research library, dating from 1602-20. You will marvel at 5 basic orders of the architecture of columns, Doric, Ionic, Corianthian, Tucson and Composite.

Pass By: Sheldonian Theatre The Sheldonian Theatre, an exquisite Grade I listed building situated in Oxford's city centre, is the official ceremonial hall of Oxford University.

The main buildings at Hertford College are linked together by a corridor called the "Bridge of Sighs," built-in 1913-14 and named after the Ponte Dei Sospiri in Venice. The Bridge of Sighs lies right opposite the entrance to the Bodleian Library, famous for its similarity to the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, has never intended to be a replica of the Venetian bridge, and instead, it bears a closer resemblance to the Rialto Bridge in the same city. Nevertheless, the bridge provides a popular photo opportunity for tourists and newcomers. Just pay attention to our guide why we call the bridge as "Bridge of Sighs"

The Sheldonian Theatre, an exquisite Grade I listed building situated in Oxford's city centre, is the official ceremonial hall of Oxford University. The Theatre is a popular tourist attraction particular because it offers one of the best indoor panoramic views of Oxford's famous skyline from its Cupola. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1664 and 1669. Learn about how the University was formed, how long it's been in existence and the secrets of its past by Tourope UK's APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides. Next to the Sheldonian Theatre, we will also visit Divinity School. You will be amazed at the Divinity School’s intricate ceiling patterns and gorgeous tall windows. On your visit make sure to take a sit on a bench and imagine oral exams taking places within those magnificent walls. The Divinity School is a medieval building and room in the Perpendicular style characterised by its rich ornamentation and tracery.

Built-in 1712 by the Oxford University Press for the University's printing, the building is now part of the Bodleian Library. It was built to house the Oxford University Press, which had previously been occupying a large room over the ceiling of the Sheldonian Theatre. It owes it name to the fact that it was partly paid for by the profits from the History of the Great Rebellion by Lord Clarendon, whose son presented the University with its copyright. It was known as “The Printing House” until the University Press moved to Walton Street in 1832. Today the building is used as an international exam centre.

Stonehenge stands alone in the vast, empty section of the Salisbury Valley as the world's most famous prehistoric and now a World Heritage Site. Its origins date back almost 5,000 years and since then it has been home to pagan religions and spiritual worship. What was the purpose of this huge collection of stones? Was it a Moon Sighting Observatory, a Sun Temple, or a complex cemetery? Who were those people that took these 40-ton rocks and carved them? You will learn all the answers and marvel at this remarkable and mysterious feat of ancient design and engineering here today. You will first visit Stonehenge Visitors Centre to understand the idea of this prehistoric burial ground. Just listen to this ancient story from your APTG qualified blue badge tourist guides provided by Tourope UK today.