It has also been suggested that The Shire and its surroundings were based on the countryside around Stonyhurst College in Lancashire where Tolkien frequently stayed during the 1940s.
Ayrıca Shire ve çevresinin Tolkien'in 1940'larda sık sık ziyaret ettiği Lancashire'daki Stonyhurst Koleji etrafındaki kırsal bölgeden uyarlandığı ileri sürülür.