Sculptures honouring Hobbit author unveiled

Two sculptures celebrating the legacy of JRR Tolkien have been unveiled in a village that helped inspire one of his stories.

The hand-carved artworks in Roos, East Yorkshire, depict the author and his wife, Edith.

One shows Edith dancing in a wood near the village in the summer of 1917, an event that became the basis for a scene in The Silmarillion – Tolkien's history of the mythical Middle-earth.

Tolkien, who is best-known for writing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, spent 18 months in the area recovering from trench fever contracted while serving during World War One.

Councillor Barbara Jefferson, cabinet member for heritage and coastal at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: ''These artworks not only celebrate our region's unique connection to one of the world's greatest literary figures, but they also serve as a lasting tribute to the power of place in shaping imagination and storytelling.

"We are proud to honour Tolkien's legacy in such a meaningful and beautiful way."

The sculptures were crafted by Allen Stichler, a Lincolnshire-based artist, using oak from the Sotterley Estate, near Beccles, Suffolk. They were unveiled in the grounds of All Saints Church on Friday.

Funding was provided by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Route Yorkshire Coast.

The artworks form part of a Tolkien Triangle trail, which also includes the former military hospital in Hull where Tolkien was treated and the military bases along the Holderness coast where he was stationed.

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.