Tolkien’s grave

Wolvercote Cemetery can be found on the outskirts of the city of Oxford. Surrounded by busy roads heavy with traffic, it is a quiet haven- and the final resting place of one of the most influential fantasy writers who ever lived, J.R.R Tolkien.

Entering the cemetery, there are plenty of signs directing visitors to the grave which Tolkien shares with his wife, Edith. The names ‘Luthien’ and ‘Beren’ also appear on the gravestone. Characters from ‘The Silmarillion’, a collection of myths and stories by Tolkien, Luthien is an immortal elf-maiden and Beren a mortal man and Luthien gives up her immortality so they can be together. As the story was inspired by his love for his own wife, he had these names added to their gravestone.

Tokens from admirers are often left around the grave, evidence of the impact his writings had on so many.

Wolvercote Cemetery

Banbury Rd,

Wolvercote,

Oxford OX2

You can read about ‘The Prancing Pony’ here.