'Tolkien stone' restoration campaign under way

The Four Shire Stone marks the ancient boundary between Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, and Worcestershire

A campaign is under way to restore a stone pillar said to have inspired Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien.

The Four Shire Stone near Moreton in Marsh, on the A44 to Chipping Norton, marks the ancient boundary between Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, and Worcestershire.

It is believed the landmark influenced Tolkien when writing about The Shire, home of the hobbits.

Fundraiser James Hayman-Joyce said it was in urgent need of repair.

He added: "It's been here for a long time, it's a local landmark, and if it had been left it would have just fallen down."

Fundraiser James Hayman-Joyce said the pillar was in urgent need of repair

Railings were installed around the stone at the start of the 1900s to deter vandalism

The 15ft [4.6m] high limestone pillar is thought to have been built in the mid-1700s, when it replaced an earlier marker stone dating back to the Middle Ages.

It was sometimes used as a venue for prize fights, as pugilists could evade prosecution in their county when crossing borders.

Railings were installed around it at the start of the 1900s to deter vandalism, but over the years it suffered wear and tear, and was even partly demolished when it was hit by a lorry in 1955.

The Tolkien connection

JRR Tolkien remains one of the most celebrated fantasy authors of all time

• In The Lord of the Rings The Shire is divided into four farthings

• The Three Farthing Stone is where the Shires of Westfarthing, Southfarthing and Eastfarthing meet

• The Four Shire Stone is on a direct route from Oxford to Evesham which Tolkien used regularly to visit his brother in Blackminster

• Tolkien also often visited nearby Moreton in Marsh

Source: Four Shire Stone Restoration Project

Stonemason Richard Podd, who is restoring the damaged stonework, told the BBC he admired the builders who had originally worked on it.

"You can see their tool marks and that connects you with the history of the structure," he said.

He said the renovation would ensure it lasted "for generations to come".

The pillar has marked the borders of three counties instead of four ever since the boundary of Worcestershire was redrawn in 1931.

Further work will include cleaning the stone and replacing the railings. Organisers hope to raise £20,000.