Middle Earth campsite comes to East Cleveland
We’re not trying to take sides or anything, but hobbits are so much cooler than rabbits, aren’t they? Carol Hopkinson and Karl Wragg seem to think so too, which is why they’re converting former tourist attraction Bunnyland, in East Cleveland, into a Middle Earth themed campsite called ‘North Shire’. That lifelong dream of finding out if you fit inside Frodo’s humble abode is finally going to come true.
North Shire will have hobbit themed underground accommodation and will operate as part of a larger campsite, which also has traditional gypsy caravans. All in all, Carol and Karl are keen to ensure visitors really feel like they’ve jumped into Frodo’s birthday party during their stay.
The Lord of the Rings inspired campsite has already received £10,000 in funding fromRedcar and Cleveland Council‘s coastal communities, as well as extra funds from National Parks and Teesside based charity Five Lamps and Carol and Karl seem very eager for the project to get underway, telling The Northern Echo: “When we opened the campsite we wanted to create a place where families – and particularly children – could enjoy nature instead of being glued to the telly. We aim to create an environment for wildlife to thrive and the new project is an extension of that ethos.”
Before you go off typing ‘Middle Earth’ into your GPS though, let us just remind you that the campsite will be near Liverton, East Cleveland. And don’t spend all your precious daylight hours watching The Lord of the Rings; the owners of the North Shire would rather you ventured outside and did a bit of exploring. After all, you might be surprised what the inner-hobbit is capable of.
