The Lord of the Rings-style accommodation near one of the UK’s most beautiful towns

MOST holidaymakers fly to New Zealand to visit the sets inspired by the Lord of the Rings, but there are alternative accommodation options much closer to home.

One of those places is an underground pod in Shropshire.

While The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien found inspiration for his hit novels in the UK, New Zealand is often associated with the franchise.

This is largely because The Lord of the Rings films, starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, and Orlando Bloom, were entirely shot in the country.

While visitors to New Zealand can book to tour the Hobbiton movie set, bucket-list trips to be part of Tolkien’s fantasy world can set holidaymakers back thousands.

Brits who don’t have that kind of cash will be relieved to know that the UK has its very own Lord of the Rings-style accommodation.

Located just one mile from Little Hereford in Shropshire, Shire’s End is an underground pod that’s been built into a small hillside, making it look like it’s been plucked straight out of Hobbiton.

The single-storey building has three circular windows, which mimic the well-known fantasy buildings.

On the inside, the wooden interior has been built with timber taken directly from Sherwood Forest.

Other features include king-size bed, a shower room with walk-in shower, and a kitchen area with an electric oven, a microwave, a fridge and freezer, and a coffee machine.

There’s also electric underfloor heating, and a patio area complete with garden furniture.

Shire’s End has enough space for two guests and a minimum stay of two nights must be booked.

Sun Online Travel has found stays starting from £233 per person, based on two people sharing a room.

Listed on the Skyes Holiday Cottages website, the accommodation provider recently posted a TikTok video about Shire’s End.

has had more than 1.4million views on the social media platform, with users rushing into the comments to share their opinions.

One person wrote: “This is beautiful.”

While others compared the accommodation to the grassy house on the Teletubbies.

The quirky building is just a 15-minute drive from nearby Ludlow, which was named as the prettiest town in the UK, according to the latest study.

The paper wrote: “Once described by John Betjeman as ‘the loveliest town in England‘, Ludlow’s crooked Medieval streets, handsome 11th-century castle and cinematic Shropshire surroundings only add weight to the poet laureate’s opinion.”

While the town’s best views are found on the top of Whitcliff Common, its main attraction is the 11th-century Ludlow Castle – one of the best-preserved ruins from Medieval times.

The historic market town has many of the original Tudor buildings, making it feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

According to Ludlow has been described as one of the most beautiful towns in the country thanks to its medieval charm.

Ludlow was also rated the best town in the UK for its food and drink scene.

A ? study on the best UK towns for cuisine revealed Ludlow was the only one to get five stars.

It was once the only town to have three Michelin-starred restaurants, although none of these are no longer listed. However, there are six on the Michelin Guide list.

Another UK town has been named as the “most magical” in England.

Painswick has been dubbed the “Queen of the Cotswolds” with its beautiful buildings looking like something from Bridgerton.

And an Irish town has been compared to Italy with its colourful houses.