1930s Wallpaper...
Mock-up of what the inside bedroom wall looked like - based on Mickey's description:
In August 2021, a short Facebook post from Darren Walsh in Faringdon made a startling claim: “Tolkien lived in Hatford.”
The story behind it began in the summer of 2014. Darren’s brother, Mickey Walsh, was redecorating a 1930s bungalow in Hatford. As he stripped back the wallpaper in a small bedroom (it pulled off quite easily - according to him) , he hit the original bare walls. What he saw stopped him cold—if only for a moment.
The entire wall was covered in Tolkien‑style sketches and scribbled markings. “It couldn’t have been anything else,” Mickey said. A lifelong Tolkien reader, he recognised the style instantly. Then he uncovered a second wall. And the area around the window. All of it covered.
Pressed for time, he dismissed it as “probably just a Tolkien fan gone a bit mad,” finished the prep, and rolled on two coats of emulsion.
Only later, talking to friends familiar with the house, did the implications hit him. A 1930s house. 1930s/40s wallpaper. Drawings beneath that wallpaper.
The sketches must have been made in the 1930s/40s. (The Hobbit was published in 1937 - see Timeline) . They could not have been the work of a later fan.
Mickey realised too late that he had painted over something potentially quite extraordinary. “I was incredibly annoyed that I didn’t take photos. That’s what deadlines do to you.”
And the name of the house that Mickey was helping to redecorate? Yes - Rivendell.
The story behind it began in the summer of 2014. Darren’s brother, Mickey Walsh, was redecorating a 1930s bungalow in Hatford. As he stripped back the wallpaper in a small bedroom (it pulled off quite easily - according to him) , he hit the original bare walls. What he saw stopped him cold—if only for a moment.
The entire wall was covered in Tolkien‑style sketches and scribbled markings. “It couldn’t have been anything else,” Mickey said. A lifelong Tolkien reader, he recognised the style instantly. Then he uncovered a second wall. And the area around the window. All of it covered.
Pressed for time, he dismissed it as “probably just a Tolkien fan gone a bit mad,” finished the prep, and rolled on two coats of emulsion.
Only later, talking to friends familiar with the house, did the implications hit him. A 1930s house. 1930s/40s wallpaper. Drawings beneath that wallpaper.
The sketches must have been made in the 1930s/40s. (The Hobbit was published in 1937 - see Timeline) . They could not have been the work of a later fan.
Mickey realised too late that he had painted over something potentially quite extraordinary. “I was incredibly annoyed that I didn’t take photos. That’s what deadlines do to you.”
And the name of the house that Mickey was helping to redecorate? Yes - Rivendell.
Mock-up of outside bedroom wall - based on Mickey's description. Folly Tower and Hill would have been visible in the distance.
