Project Northmoor
 

For those who may find this of interest....

Project Northmoor is a charity devised to purchase J.R.R. Tolkien's home in Oxford at 20 Northmoor Road, where Tolkien lived with his family from 1930 to 1947. The intent is to create a Center for Tolkien Studies where we can all drop by unbidden like questionable dwarves looking for a burglar-for-hire.

The accompanying video on the site explains more, with folks like Sir Ian, Annie Lennox and a veritable hobbit horde of other Tolkienistas talking about the project:

https://www.projectnorthmoor.org/

*Sighs in exasperation*

Alas, even the most noble of causes must suffer the slings and arrows of religious misfortune....

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...s-oxford-house

Can't have any of that icky religion stuff in connection with Tolkien, you know.

Of course not, despite the fact that he was devoted to his Catholic faith, and it unquestionably influenced his works, both the greater and lesser-known.

But then the question is: do the organisations involved intend to reflect his faith, and their influence on his works, in an accurate way?

(I think if you look closely there is not nearly as much controversy about any religious element as the article implies; seems like an attempt to generate outrage from both sides to me)

I find this article to be a beat-up, the project itself dubious and the statement made by the Tolkien Society another attempt to appear relevant.

The Estate made the only sensible decision by declining to comment.

I find the Tolkien Society's rather ostentatious non-endorsement, and some of its language, rather shall we say ironic given its both-feet plunge into the (misnamed) "Ring of Silvianus"-Lydney Park malarkey.