RARE first editions of the Lord of the Rings - which is said to have been inspired by the East Lancashire countryside - are to go under the hammer next month.

J R R Tolkien penned the epic serial at St Mary’s Hall, part of Stonyhurst College, while his son John was training for the priesthood there in the 1940s.

And now an original version of the trilogy, which was brought to the big screen by Peter Jackson, is set to go up for auction in West London.

The green leather-bound volumes, described as being in a good condition, are expected to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000 when they are presented at Chiswick Auctions on September 28.

Nicholas Worskett, from Chiswick’s book department, in advance of the sale. said: “It is particularly exciting to be able to offer a first edition of such a well-loved work, of which only 1,500 were printed. Such is the popularity of Tolkien’s repertoire, that we expect a huge wave of interest.”

A first edition of The Hobbit, by Tolkien, said to be in ‘excellent’ condition, will also be placed up for auction on the same day, with bids of up to £1,500 estimated.

Several names which crop up in the trilogy are reputed to have connections with the Ribble Valley establishment, most notably Shire Lane, in Hurst Green, and the River Shirebourne, which would be represented in the homeland of Bilbo Baggins.

And the well-used ferry at Hacking Hall is thought to have served as a model for the Buckleberry Ferry.

Tolkien and his family stayed in a lodge in the Stonyhurst grounds and the view may have provided a model for the scenes depicted from Tom Bombadil’s home in the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring.

During the Second World War St Mary’s acted as a seminary for the English College, after students and tutors were evacuated to Lancashire from Rome

Later Tolkien’s younger son Michael would teach classics at the college, staying at Woodfields, part of the staff accommodation.

He planted a copse in his father’s memory nearby following his death in 1973, in recognition of his love of nature.

And in 2002 a library dedicated to the celebrated author was opened at Stonyhurst.

Today a walking trail, taking in Hurst Green, the college, Winckley Hall and the River Hodder and River Ribble, remains a favourite with seasoned hikers, with many vistas unspoiled since the last world war.