MIDDLE Earth inspired road signs in South Woodham Ferrers have been captured by a local photographer as The Hobbit appears in cinemas across the country.
Tracy Morter, 33, a professional photographer took the snaps on a post-Christmas stroll through the town where roads have names inspired by Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy and other books.
"We're a little town but we have some interesting quirks and the signs are one of them, I thought it would be something really interesting to photograph," said the mother-of-three. "I remember the last time the films came out we had several people visiting the town to have a look."
It was the whimsy of a planning officer in the 1980s that led to the sign names being based on the epic novels, although some of their original titles had to be renamed.
Celeborn Street, one of the two feeder roads into the estate, is said to have been called Gollum's Reach previously.
"This would have made sense as Gollum's 'reach' for the One Ring is one of the key themes in the books but of course this proved to have a fatal result and so the street was renamed," said Bob Massey, a Chelmsford city councillor for the area. "There were rumours that nobody would buy houses on the street because of the link!"
Tracy has been taking photos professionally for the past three years after realising that being self-employed would allow her time to spend with her three sons, one of whom is autistic and requires extra care.
"I find it really rewarding, especially when I get to take my kids along to music festivals such as Brownstock and share it with them," she said. "With The Hobbit coming out in cinemas I'm hoping these photos might capture people's attention.
"It's just a shame they didn't follow it through with all the names. We could have had the pub called The Prancing Pony!"
Visit www.tracymorter.com
Spot the Middle Earth linkHERE are some of the roads in South Woodham Ferrers with a Tolkien link.
Arwen Grove – Arwen was an Elven princess.
Bree Hill - Bree was the main village of Breeland.
Buckland Gate – Buckland was one of the regions of the hobbits' home in The Shire.
Bucklebury Heath – The hobbits were nearly ambushed by the ringwraiths at Bucklebury ferry on their departure from the Shire.
Butterbur Chase – Barleyman Butterbur was the landlord of The Prancing Pony – an inn in the village of Bree.
Bywater Road – Bywater was a village in The Shire.
Celeborn Street – Celeborn (pronounced Keleborn) was the Elven King of Lothlorien.
Elrond's Rest – Elrond was a half-elven prince.
Galadriel Spring – The Lady Galadriel was the Elven queen of Lothlorien.
Gandalf's Ride – Gandalf was one of the last and greatest of the wizards of Middle Earth.
Gimli Watch – Gimli was a dwarf and a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Hobbiton Hill – Hobbiton was the most famous village in The Shire, the home of the Hobbits.
Lorien Gardens – Lorien, in ancient times before the events described in The Lord of The Rings, was a vast, beautiful garden, which in turn gave its name to Lothlorien, where the Elves lived.
Meriadoc Drive – Meriadoc Brandybuck, also known as Merry, was one of the hobbits who accompanied Frodo Baggins on the quest as a member of The Fellowhip of the Ring.
Rivendell Vale – Rivendell was a refuge built in the mountains by the elves. It was the site of the House of Elrond.
Rohan Court – the kingdom of Rohan (meaning Horse Land).
Shirebourn Vale – The Shire was the peaceful, historic homeland of the hobbits.
The Withywindle – was a small river which flowed through the Old Forest, to the east of the Shire.
Thorin's Gate – Thorin is a name shared by several kings of the dwarves.
Took Drive – Peregrine Took, also known as Pippin, was a hobbit, and a companion of Frodo Baggins.
Treebeard Copse – Treebeard was an Ent, or tree shepherd, who lived in the old forest of Fangorn. He and his fellow ents destroyed Saruman's fortress at Isengard.
Westmarch – Like Buckland, Westmarch was part of The Shire, the historic home of the hobbits.
White Tree Court – The White Tree was ancient, even in the times described in the Lord of the Rings. The line of saplings could be traced back to pre-history and was a symbol of the continuing line of the men of Gondor.
