In 2013, Ashley Yeates, from Bedford, England, embarked on an extraordinary project: building a Hobbit Hole in his garden. Inspired by well-known novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, Yeates found himself digging a deep hole that eventually led to the creation of a construction straight from the village of Hobbiton. The project became a charming addition to his outdoor space, providing a spot to relax and enjoy the sound of rain.
Today we want to revisit an extraordinary project that consumed Ashley’s time and imagination. This journey into the past invites us to rediscover the essence of his remarkable project that has the potential to ignite the creativity of DIY enthusiasts and inspire them to embark on their own ideas, whether it be crafting their very own Hobbit Hole or venturing into other unique constructions on their property.
This is the Hobbit Hole that Ashley Yeates built in his own backyard
Bored Panda reached out to Ashley Yeates to find out more about the Hobbit Hole he built back in 2013. First, we asked what was the initial inspiration for embarking on that extraordinary project. Yeates told us: “Boredom! I should never be allowed to get bored… I had to remove a small old tree that was shedding branches in that area, and was planning to simply replace it – but after digging it out, there was a pretty impressive hole, and like any other partially-sane human being, my first thought was ‘it would be more fun to keep digging instead…’ and the next thing I know, quite a few cubic meters had come out of the ground. From that point, a few ideas cropped up, and I landed upon a hobbit hole! I think a film must have been released around that time or something.”
Everything started with digging a hole, big enough to cater to the basic internal shape designed
The next stage was constructing a strong internal wooden frame
We were wondering if since completing the Hobbit Hole, Ashley continued to utilize it as intended. Also, we wanted to find out how it transformed and enriched the outdoor space and daily life during that time. Yeates said: “For a while, yes, it was an incredibly enjoyable quiet space; I love being outside when it’s raining, and this was a perfect place to sit and relax as the sound of rain would reverberate from within the hobbit hole very nicely!”
Halfway into the project, the hole got unexpectedly flooded
Next, we wanted to know some memorable experiences or significant moments Yeates encountered while constructing the hobbit hole or since its completion. Ashley shared with us that: “I think pumping out the gallons of water from the hole I dug for the project and totally flooding the garden was quite memorable – and should definitely have served as a warning of what I was dealing with – but I think I just buried that to the back of my mind with an ‘ignorance is bliss’ attitude, and cracked on. Lessons learned, eventually!”
It slowed down the process a bit, but eventually, Ashley dealt with the damage caused by the water
When asked how the hobbit hole was received by his friends, family, and visitors, Ashley answered: “Shortly after its completion, I had a summer BBQ – I’d kept the project moderately quiet, so it came as a huge surprise to most guests. I say surprise, but that’s probably not the right word… although it certainly went down well – there was a buzz of excitement about it and lots of pictures taken, although one friend of mine was not overly happy as a week later his young daughter started trying to dig her own hobbit-hole in his garden! Thankfully, she didn’t get quite as far down as me, so the friendship was salvageable…”
After the flooding incident, some extra waterproofing of the construction was essential everywhere
The Hobbit Hole had a sod roof in place
Then, we had to ask what’s the current state of the construction. Ashley told us: “Unfortunately, Mother Nature reclaimed the hobbit hole! When the water table rose in winter, it was impossible to stop it from flooding, and the construction was swallowed up. I knew it was coming halfway into the build when I encountered the flooding, but I pushed through regardless as it was more about getting a finished project rather than creating something long-term. Ultimately, I ended up collapsing the entire thing into itself and flattening the ground above it – I’d love to be a fly on the wall when someone excavates that area in the future..!”
With the top turfed, it was time to create a nice entrance and add a few bonus touches
Knowing the Hobbit Hole does not exist anymore, we were interested if it perhaps ignited a passion for similar projects. Yeates said: “Absolutely, on the top of the hobbit hole area, I built an entire outdoor cinema room (which is still used daily 10 years later) and actually became the prototype and starting point of my Torii Cinema Company. These were more of an artistic outlet, and I ended up building around a half dozen or so bespoke and specifically crafted cinemas to clients’ tastes and requirements. I’ve generally stopped building these now, as they took a huge amount of effort being personally hand-built from scratch.”
Everything was coming nicely together
The next step was interior design, starting with essentials like proper ventilation which is key while being underground!
Ashley also shared what he has dedicated his time to now. He said: “Most of my time is consumed with my Animazombs project, which I started working on around the same time as the hobbit hole, albeit mainly as a soft toy product. Over the last decade, this particular creation of mine has progressed into a full animated series, and a few years ago, I was lucky enough to attract a large Hollywood production company into developing it with me, but unfortunately, this does mean building projects have taken a back-seat for now, although I do have a few interesting ideas lined up!”
The perfect shelf for Tolkien books
Finally, we asked about Ashley’s reflections on the project now. We wanted to know if there is anything he would have approached differently or any lessons learned that he would like to share with aspiring DIY enthusiasts. Yeates told us: “Ah, yes, I have a million retrospective thoughts and insights with regard to the hobbit hole project. Looking back, it was an embarrassing mess and I almost hate seeing the pictures of it – the errors and mistakes were endless, but I learned a great deal since then, which was necessary for moving from amateur DIY enthusiasts to a more professional setup. In terms of lessons learned, if I was to rebuild another hobbit hole (which I’m somewhat tempted by!) I would definitely stick with building above ground, even though that would take away the charm of having it underground; it caused far too much headache in the long run. In all honesty, I’d actually go even higher up than that – I spent a long time reading and watching the work of Pete Nelson, an American master treehouse builder, and have always wanted to create something like that – I just need the right space and property for it!”
Some final touches to give a bit more character to the Hobbit Hole
A lovely view from the inside
Finally, the Hobbit Hole was ready and its exterior looks pretty welcoming!
The project became a charming addition to Ashley’s outdoor space, providing a tranquil spot to relax and enjoy the sound of rain reverberating within its cozy confines
