Tickets are on offer to the grand unveiling of two new wooden sculptures paying tribute to JRR Tolkien’s connection with East Yorkshire.
The big reveal is set to take place at All Saints Church in Roos, on Friday, June 6.
A total of 100 public tickets are up for grabs via this link
The event will kick off with a brief talk by local history expert Phil Mathison, and an official viewing from 10.30am. Tickets are free, but there’s a limit of 4 per person.
The statues, hand-carved from oak, depict the famed author – best known for The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings – and his wife, Edith, in a cherished moment from the summer of 1917 when she danced for him in a woodland near the village. This very scene served as the inspiration for ‘Of Beren and Lúthien’, a key chapter in ‘The Silmarillion’, a compendium of tales and legends that lay bare the lore of Middle Earth.
One statue, which is around eight-and-a-half feet high, will show the young Tolkien, while the second installation, beside it, will depict Edith dancing in silhouette etched into a thick oak slab.
The project received funding from East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Route Yorkshire Coast.
Councillor Nick Coultish, cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism at the council, said: “These statues aim to honour J.R.R. Tolkien’s profound connection to East Yorkshire, a place that played a pivotal role in shaping the imaginative world of Middle Earth.
“The unveiling of these statues stands as a tribute not only to his time here during the First World War but also to the lasting impact this beautiful landscape had on his creativity. Tolkien found inspiration for some of his most enduring stories, and it is fitting that we celebrate his legacy in the very place that helped spark it.
“We look forward to welcoming visitors to East Yorkshire in the coming years and hope this project provides and economic boost to the Holderness region.”
The statues are the newest addition to the self-guided trail, The Tolkien Triangle, which can be explored at www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk/listing/the-tolkien-triangle/204975101/