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Tolkien house to be flattened

7:00pm Friday 31st August 2007

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A POOLE bungalow once the home of JRR Tolkien is to be demolished.

The bungalow in Lakeside Road was where Tolkien retired with his wife Edith in 1968 after his two best-known works, The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, had already made him famous.

An application by Cranbrook Homes (Southern) Ltd for outline planning permission for two four-bed family homes on the site breezed through planning at Poole council on Monday.

James Dean, director of Cranbrook Homes said he was not aware of the building's history.

He said: "It's going to be replaced with two superb contemporary houses. In the light of what you've just told me, perhaps one of them should be called Tolkien."

Tolkien lived in the three-bed bungalow, which backs onto Branksome Chine, until his wife's death in 1972 when he moved back to Oxford. Although no real evidence of his ownership remains, the beams which formed part of his study are still visible.

It came on the market for £1 million in November, sold by the person who bought it from Tolkien himself. The author, who died in 1973, is said to have found respite from his growing fame there and at the Miramar Hotel, Bournemouth, which he and his wife frequently visited. A commemorative plaque can be seen on the front of the hotel.

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Tan, says...
9:48am Sat 1 Sep 07

So it's not just Bournemouth Council who cares nothing for history. What a shame that this could not be saved and a link with Tolkien preserved, as they have at the Miramar Hotel! There are many fans of Tolkien around the world but I two four bed family homes are far better because that will benefit so many and give so many people a home (no, just those that can afford a big house!) It is a insult to say they will call one of the houses "Tolkien"

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Vikki27, Poole says...
11:06am Sat 1 Sep 07

That's disgusting. What IS it with people!?! Why is everyone so obsessed with getting rid of anything with historical value to replace it with something new that is probably not needed?? There are MANY empty and run-down homes lying around that they could knock down and rebuild. WHY somewhere like this?

And I absoloutely agree with Tan that calling one of them 'Tolkien' is a huge insult and it makes a mockery of the whole situation.

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beachhut, southbourne says...
12:06pm Sat 1 Sep 07

You can feel the smirk in the developers response. Who gives a ****, JUST SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!!!!

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Bigtone, Poole says...
1:14pm Sat 1 Sep 07

Look on the bright side.......they might even put one of those Blue plaques on the wall that oozes history.Mind you that would confuse tourists and fans if it said "Tolkien lived here"????????

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Johnny B, Poole says...
5:28pm Sat 1 Sep 07

So the property developers win again. When will the councils around here stand up to them. All the developers are interested in is the money; to hell with any history and the environment. They have ruined the Penn Hill area by pulling down lovely old family houses and building flats. I hate these parasites!

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Glenn, says...
12:19pm Sun 2 Sep 07

Modern Day Definition of a Developer = An individual or group who fund several individuals to permit the destruction or demolition of properties typically containing quality buildings often of historical significance though always of superior quality, size and grandeur to what will be replacing them as the site is...developed with the permission of a council in devolution as opposed to evolution .

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ctessex, London says...
4:51pm Sun 2 Sep 07

For heavens sake ! he only lived there for 4 years. It is hardly a testament to deep and long connection to the area. Had he written the books there it may have been worthy of greater recognition. As it turns out, he simply retired to Bournemouth and then left when his wife passed away. It isn't a site for Tolkien pilgrims now, why try and make it something it hasn't been, isn't and most probably won't be. I wonder if the real objection is about having new houses in it's place. Is it that 'roads can't cope' or 'out of character' objections are falling on deaf ears at planning ?

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paul, poole says...
5:17pm Sun 2 Sep 07

Glenn wrote:
Modern Day Definition of a Developer = An individual or group who fund
several individuals to permit the destruction or demolition of
properties typically containing quality buildings often of historical
significance though always of superior quality, size and grandeur to
what will be replacing them as the site is...developed
with the permission of a council in devolution as
opposed to evolution .
LOL! That is brilliant!

Developers do not give a stuff, the council do not give a stuff....more houses mean more money for the council as less is given out. there is no need for extra housing. In the property Advertiser it has thousands of houses for sale every week...it's normally thicker than the paer it came in....stop building flats and houses!!!

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fedupwithjobsworths, Moordown says...
6:22pm Sun 2 Sep 07

Johnny B wrote:
So the property developers win again. When will the councils around here stand up to them. All the developers are interested in is the money; to hell with any history and the environment. They have ruined the Penn Hill area by pulling down lovely old family houses and building flats. I hate these parasites!
Problem is ... many of our Councillors are property developers.

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Marcus James, Bmth says...
12:05pm Mon 3 Sep 07

ctessex wrote:
For heavens sake ! he only lived there for 4 years. It is hardly a testament to deep and long connection to the area. Had he written the books there it may have been worthy of greater recognition. As it turns out, he simply retired to Bournemouth and then left when his wife passed away. It isn't a site for Tolkien pilgrims now, why try and make it something it hasn't been, isn't and most probably won't be. I wonder if the real objection is about having new houses in it's place. Is it that 'roads can't cope' or 'out of character' objections are falling on deaf ears at planning ?
well said, nobody cared two hoots before and i didnt see anyone fighting to buy the place when it came up for sale. Surely if it was such a monument to society then it would have been bought and preserved at all costs. It hasn't been so get over it. The whole road has been developed and sadly this Bungalow is next in line.

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Noel, Bournemouth says...
12:08pm Mon 3 Sep 07

Looking at some of the new buildings being throw up when the developers knock down these lovely old houses isn't "superb contemporary" an oximoron?

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Richard, Bournemouth says...
12:30pm Mon 3 Sep 07

It's quite clear that Tolkein considered himself an Oxford man. Any blue plaques or tributes would surely be more appropriate there. He did all of his significant writing whilst an Oxford don, so Poole can hardly latch on to him.

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Hugh Janus, South Dorset says...
2:19pm Fri 12 Sep 08

You mean he didn't come from Middle-Earth?

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