Is This the Inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien's Doors of Durin in The Lord of the Rings?

These medieval parish church doors in England, flanked by two ancient Yew trees, are believed to be the inspiration for the Doors of Durin from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

These enchanting doors are the west entry of St. Edward's Church in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire. This is a cotswold stone Norman church dating from the 11th-14th century built on the location of an older wooden Saxon church.

In the legendary story by the famous Catholic author, the Doors of Durin were the dwarf-built and elf-embellished secret doors that made the west gate leading to the land of Moria in Middle Earth.

The inscription reads: "Ennyn Durin aran Moria. Pedo mellon a minno" – "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."

Watch the video clip of the Doors to Moria scene from the movie!