The Hobbit House
October 2014
A local sheep farmer, Colin Stokes, started building the house in 1989, using dry stone wall techniques to build a complex structure of rooms, corridors, turrets and dovecotes. In some of the rooms he even installed stained glass windows which he had created himself. Mr Stokes told The Mail that he had started out with the intention of building a simple hay storage barn, but “I just got a bit carried away”. According to The Metro it was also built to house his sheep, and this did appear to be the case for the lower rooms. Having inadvertendly flouted local planning laws, the council became aware of the house's existence and weren't too happy with the owner. So, in about 1999 the farmer headed to Scotland, leaving the house derelict.
A local sheep farmer, Colin Stokes, started building the house in 1989, using dry stone wall techniques to build a complex structure of rooms, corridors, turrets and dovecotes. In some of the rooms he even installed stained glass windows which he had created himself. Mr Stokes told The Mail that he had started out with the intention of building a simple hay storage barn, but “I just got a bit carried away”. According to The Metro it was also built to house his sheep, and this did appear to be the case for the lower rooms. Having inadvertendly flouted local planning laws, the council became aware of the house's existence and weren't too happy with the owner. So, in about 1999 the farmer headed to Scotland, leaving the house derelict.
