Here we hope to provide continuous information regarding the time spent by J. R. R. Tolkien in East Yorkshire, mainly between 1917 and 1918 when he was convalescing from The Great War.

There are several resources available for discovering more about Tolkien’s time in and connections to East Yorkshire.

Hammond & Scull

Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull are husband and wife and have dedicated much of their time to the study of Tolkien, his life and his works. Their “The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide” is a valuable collection for anyone interested in a wider understanding of Tolkien and his works.

It can appear expensive but it is definitley a relfection of its status as serious acadmic resource. However, it’s certainly worth searching around for.

Hammond & Scull’s website also provides further insights into their works, with their section “Addenda and Corrigenda to Our Writings“

Humphrey Carpenter

The official biographer of Tolkien, “J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography” Carpenter wrote this biography about 3 years following Tolkien’s death in 1973. Carpenter was given access to Tolkien’s letters, diaries and other papers. As Tolkien’s time in East Yorkshire is limited to approximately 0.3% of the book, and this being the first real biography of Tolkien’s life, this could be regarded as the foundation upon which many subsequent works have been based, and further developing our understanding of Tolkien’s time in East Yorkshire and its impact on his life and his works.

John Garth

“Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth” is John Garth’s award winning 2003 book which considers Tolkien’s early life, especially around and during the Great War. This does include greater detail around Tolkien’s time spent in East Yorkshire and the development of his work during that time than what can be found in Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography.

As well as an author, John Garth is a journalist, freelance writer, public speaker, teacher and, most importantly, a reader