A 17th-century mansion, just a short drive from Stafford, has been chosen as the location of the first ever UK Brandywine hobbit festival.

Weston Park, famous for its rolling parkland designed by Capability Brown, will welcome Lord of the Rings fans from across the country for a five-day hobbit celebration.

The location is very apt, with the historic venue situated just a few miles from author Tolkien's birthplace of Birmingham as well as The Wrekin hill, which is thought to have inspired Middle-earth, the setting for both Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Tolkien's novels have been read by people around the world with 150 million copies of Lord of the Rings having been sold globally.

Rebecca Alexander, Head of Estate Operations at Weston Park, said: "We're so excited to have been chosen as the home of such a unique and imaginative event as it makes its UK debut.

"The festival itself encourages people to leave behind the modern world in exchange for a simple, slow-paced hobbit-existence.

"The event includes workshops on hobbit dancing, cooking, weaving and fibre arts, music and dance, and at the centre of it all The Four Farthing Games, a series of traditional hobbit folk games.

"Our 1,000 acres of rolling parkland provides the perfect backdrop for bringing the author's fictional Middle-earth and his land of the small people - The Shire - to life, and we cannot wait to welcome hobbit fans from across the county and beyond to experience something truly special here at Weston Park."

The Hobbit has sold 1 million copies across the world since 1937 (image via Be Bold Media)

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The Brandywine Festival was launched last year in Kentucky by organisers Burgschneider in collaboration with Middle-earth Enterprises, which holds exclusive worldwide rights to film, stage and merchandising for Tolkien's literary works.

Tolkien superfan Kyle Pedley, from Stourbridge, previously won a competition to meet Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and tour the sets of the films.

Speaking about the festival, Kyle said: ""For any Tolkien fan, this is the stuff of dreams.

"Weston Park is a stunning setting and the idea of spending five days fully immersed in hobbit life in a landscape that Tolkien himself is said to have drawn inspiration from is magical.

"Birmingham and the surrounding areas are so rich with Tolkien history and heritage, it feels very right to be welcoming this wonderful celebration here - one that looks set to rival even Bilbo and Frodo's famous birthday bash!"

The festival will take place from 9-13 September.

Click here for more information.