House of the Hundred Chimneys

From Tolkien Gateway
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Gipsy Green by J.R.R. Tolkien

The House of the Hundred Chimneys, only mentioned in the early version of the legendarium (The Book of Lost Tales), was the ancient house of Gilfanon. It was located near the bridge of Tavrobel on Tol Eressëa.[1]

Inspiration

As the village of Tavrobel was based on Great Haywood, G. L. Elkin, the Acting Director of the Shugborough Estate, has suggested to Christopher Tolkien that the House of Hundred Chimneys may have been based on the Shugborough Hall, the home of the Earl of Lichfield, which features prominent chimneys.[2]

Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull have suggested that Tolkien was perhaps inspired by a house named Gipsy Green nearby Penkridge in Staffordshire (where Tolkien stayed at a camp in 1918 recovering from "trench fever"). As can be seen in an illustration by Tolkien of the house, it features several, prominent chimneys.[3]

References