🌿🏡 Somewhere Shire is a farm-style self-catering stay in Waverley, Bloemfontein — ideal for long stays, remote work, and creatives. Enjoy fast Wi-Fi and Ethernet, private access to a hobbit hole & tea bar, quiet garden spaces for bird watching, pool, treehouse, table tennis, and a walking labyrinth. Peaceful, work-friendly, and nature-rich. Extended stays are welcomed and discounted.
The space
We’re bringing shire-life to Bloemfontein, South Africa, the birthplace of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
🛏️ 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨: The guest suite sleeps up to 3 adults (and +1 child), featuring a queen bed, a three-quarter bed, and a single sleeper couch.
🍴 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚: Fully equipped with a Snappy Chef induction stove, fridge, microwave, kettle, and all crockery and cutlery needed for a comfortable stay.
🚿 𝘽𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢: The bathroom is spacious and well-equipped, with ample hanging space, and a heater for cooler winter mornings. An additional outside guest toilet is also available to guests.
💻 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚: For remote workers or business travelers there is a desk, Wi-Fi, and an Ethernet connection.
🌿 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣: Playground & Treehouse, Table Tennis Room, Pool, Chicken Coop (HobbitHen), Hobbit Hole for fun photos, and Labyrinth. There are farm animals on the property: Two Border Collies (Yoga & Moe), a cat named Gandy (short for Gandalf), Bantam Chickens, and Polish Chickens.
🐉🫖𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣: Guests enjoy private access at designated times to the Green Dragon Tea Bar — a quiet, story-shaped tea and coffee room inspired by the world of Tolkien. A wide selection of teas is available for some Preciousss slow mornings, and an honesty fridge offering additional beverages for purchase. Guests are also invited into the behind-the-scenes making of Somewhere Shire, an ongoing Tolkien-inspired restoration project.
**𝑵𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒚 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 & 𝑨𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔**
📍 𝚆̲̲̲𝚒̲̲̲𝚝̲̲̲𝚑̲̲̲𝚒̲̲̲𝚗̲̲̲ ̲̲̲𝟹̲̲̲𝚔̲̲̲𝚖̲̲̲ ̲̲̲(̲̲̲𝚊̲̲̲𝚛̲̲̲𝚘̲̲̲𝚞̲̲̲𝚗̲̲̲𝚍̲̲̲ ̲̲̲𝟻̲̲̲ ̲̲̲𝚖̲̲̲𝚒̲̲̲𝚗̲̲̲𝚞̲̲̲𝚝̲̲̲𝚎̲̲̲𝚜̲̲̲)̲̲̲:̲̲̲
🏫• Oranje Meisieskool
🏫• Hoërskool Sentraal
🛍️• Northridge Mall – Woolies, Dischem, cinema, bargain books, and great restaurants!
🍩• Preller Square Shopping Center – Woolies food & café, Dischem, bargain books, and great restaurants!
🎨• Oliewenhuis Art Museum – A beautiful gallery showcasing South African art, with gardens to explore. (R10 per vehicle)
🦓• Franklin Naval Hill Nature Reserve – Home to the iconic Nelson Mandela statue, and currently the only nature reserve in the world to be located in the middle of a city. Spot zebra, wildebeest, blesbok, and more while exploring scenic walking, cycling, and running routes. (Free entry)
🌠• Planetarium – Located within the nature reserve, offering immersive shows about the night sky. (Tickets available on computicket - contact host for calendar)
🎾• Rambler’s Paddle Club – Perfect for paddle enthusiasts
👗• Laundromat – Convenient for long-term stays.
☕• Good Takeaway Coffee – Seattle, Brewing Hound Coffee, Yello Coffee, Starbucks, Woolies Café
🏋️• Virgin Active – Sauna, Steam room, warm pool, yoga/pilates classes
📍 𝚆̲̲̲𝚒̲̲̲𝚝̲̲̲𝚑̲̲̲𝚒̲̲̲𝚗̲̲̲ ̲̲̲𝟼̲𝚔̲̲̲𝚖̲̲̲ ̲̲̲(̲̲̲𝚊̲̲̲𝚛̲̲̲𝚘̲̲̲𝚞̲̲̲𝚗̲̲̲𝚍̲̲̲ ̲̲̲𝟷̲𝟶̲ ̲̲̲𝚖̲̲̲𝚒̲̲̲𝚗̲̲̲𝚞̲̲̲𝚝̲̲̲𝚎̲̲̲𝚜̲̲̲)̲̲̲:̲̲̲
🎓• University of the Free State
🎓• Central University of Technology
🏫• Grey College
🏫• Eunice Girls' School
🏫• St Andrew's School
🩺• Medi-Clinic Hospital
🏉• Toyota Free State Stadium
🎭• Sand du Plessis Theatre
🥙• Coffee Talks Café – A local favourite for refreshments and light meals. Closed Mondays & Saturdays.
Guest access
🔐 Self-check-in available via automated gate access and keypad.
🚙 Secure undercover parking for two cars is available on the property next to the guest suite.
Other things to note
🙏• 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐓𝐕 (yet), but you’re welcome to bring your own device for streaming. Or talk to each other like its 1995.
🛣️• The property is located on a lively road—particularly bustling between 7:00 and 18:00. However, the guest suite is equipped with a sliding door and wooden barn doors to help minimise noise.
☕🧼•Enough coffee and tea for 1 serving per guest. Check-out the surrounding coffee spots or bring your own along. Basic Shampoo and Conditioner available, bring along own shower gel.
🐦🔍• For bird enthusiasts, a bird-spotting checklist is available—watch the weaver build, see if you can find the paradise flycatcher that nests in the garden, the garden is also visited by green wood hoopoes, cardinal woodpeckers, crested barbets, and many more.
📚✍️• The guest suite and garden spaces are inspired by **J.R.R. Tolkien—the legendary author of The Lord of the Rings, who was born in Bloemfontein on 3 January in 1892—**these spaces blend simple charm with a touch of storytelling.
🐶🐔• The garden is shared with farm animals. Meet border collies Yoga & Moe. Yoga gives free kisses and loves catching the ball. Moe enjoys head scratches and popping bubbles. Gandy the cat loves outside play and sometimes thinks she is a border collie too. Chickens roam freely on the property.
🐝• A naturally occurring beehive is located on the far end of the property, well away from the guest suite.
The guest suite is private from the garden, however those who enjoy animals and nature would enjoy this stay best. Whether you're a business traveler needing a work-friendly stay, a family visiting the city, or someone looking for a unique stopover, Somewhere Shire offers a welcoming, down-to-earth experience.
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡
- 𝐽.𝑅.𝑅. 𝑇𝑜𝑙𝑘𝑖𝑒𝑛
