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Photos from The Martian. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

December 2002 led by Russell Alexander torn down. The early tours left a lot to the Rebuilding got underway in 2011 and
who assumed the responsibly of running mind’s eye as visitors hiked through the this time they did it right: Gardeners and
tours while his brother Craig and father Ian village pockmarked with the empty Hobbit artisans created an idyllic 17th-century En-
ran the farm. “I think it was basically the holes along winding paths where the occa- glish countryside complete with hedge rows,
day after the premiere of The Fellowship of sional story board told tales of the early film- orchards, bountiful gardens, lichen-covered
the Ring… I made contact with New Line ing. fences and well used paths. “I knew Hobbi-
Cinema in America, and I think that took When Jackson got the green light for The ton needed to be warm, comfortable and feel
me eight months to get their approval to do Hobbit Trilogy, he arranged with the Alex- lived in,” wrote Jackson “By letting the weeds
what we are doing today in tours,” said Alex- ander family to rebuild the Shire set. But grow through the cracks and establishing
ander in a recent interview. this time, with dramatically upgraded tours barberry hedges and little gardens a year be-
Even before the first movie was released in mind, the farm family insisted the set be fore filming, we ended up with an incredibly
the set had deteriorated and most of it was built to last. Jackson agreed. real place, not just a film set.”

18 Wine Dine & Travel 2016