The Door In The Bank

The Keeper's Journal Entry (text in bold represents a truth or factual event):

Tonight I ventured into The Deep Woods, a part of the forest I had not yet explored.

There is something strange about that place. Not hostile, exactly. Hostility I think I could understand. Rather, the woods there seem indifferent to my presence, and somehow I find that worse.

I had not gone far when I found the door. It was set directly into a bank of earth beneath a giant oak tree, and was at once completely ordinary and utterly remarkable. It was an old wooden door, painted green. Once, I imagine, the colour had been bright and cheerful, but the years had not been kind. The paint had cracked and peeled, and weather had aged the timber where the green had fallen away.

There were no windows. No glass through which I might glimpse a candle burning or a shadow passing within. And, more strangely still, there was nowhere for within to be. A door is a curious thing, it is a boundary between without and within, and by its very existence it promises a within.

 

I stood before it for some time. I confess I raised my hand to knock, then lowered it again. There are stories enough about people who knock upon doors in strange woods, and very few of them end with the visitor home in time for supper. 

Besides, there is wisdom in waiting.

The forest and I are still strangers to one another. I have not been the Keeper for long, and I have much to learn before I go knocking upon doors that have no business being there. So I decided that, for tonight at least, I would ask nothing of whoever, or whatever, lived beyond it. Instead, I offered hospitality.

I had found a bramble of blackberries along the path and had picked as many as my handkerchief could hold. I unfolded the cloth and spread it carefully upon the earth before the door like a tiny tablecloth. A meagre feast, perhaps, but freely given. 

After some time, I whispered a blessing and left.

The Truth In The Text

I cannot tell a story about a door in a bank of earth that goes nowhere without weaving in my trips (yes plural) to the Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. If you ever get the opportunity to visit, take it. You won't regret it. It is one of the most magical places on earth, it moves me to tears every time I go. I think it is seeing my imagination brought to life that does it for me.

Barrel of Frogmorton Ginger Beer

My first trip was in November 2024, I had gone to NZ to see Coldplay in concert and no trip to the land of the long white cloud is complete without visiting the Hobbiton Movie Set. From memory, the set was built for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then completely torn down before being rebuilt for the set of The Hobbit. 

Door in a Bank

Just like the prompt in this journal entry, most of the Hobbit doors are set in banks of earth with nothing behind them. There are, however, two fully furnished Hobbit holes that you can explore. One of these has a yellow door and is the home of Samwise Gamgee.

The home of Samwise Gamgee

Unfortunately you can only tour one of the two Hobbit homes per visit, which gave me the excuse I needed to revisit in February 2026.

Hobbit home interior

I am visiting again in January 2027 and for a fourth time in February 2028. The trip in 2028 is incredibly special to me as I am taking my three children to visit. For that reason, I haven't said too much more in this truth-telling, because they will get to experience it with me.

Hobbit home interior

Behind the door is an oak leaf, in the stories there is a huge oak tree that grows on top of Bag End. For the movies this was an artificial tree with thousands of silk leaves individually hand painted to lend authenticity.

The other truth in this tale is my love for blackberry picking. Here in Australia, they are in season during the months that have an ‘a’ in their names: January, February, March, April and May. The best picking is in late March and early May, when the berries a large and plump.

I remember one beautiful day when my husband and I spotted a large bramble, so we stopped by the side of the road. I had no handkerchief, but I was wearing a dress and, much like you see in the movies, I gathered its skirt into a makeshift apron. Within half an hour, my hands and arms were scratched by the brambles, my fingers (and mouth) were stained purple, and my dress would never be the same.

The Make

I knew I didn't want a circular door because that was too much of an obvious cross-over into Tolkien lore, so I used an arched door instead. I used junk journal images from Creative Fabrica to create the tree bi-fold and also the door, both of which were fussy cut. Fun fact, I used to own an arts and crafts store in the 90s when decoupage was having its renaissance. 

We didn't call it fussy cutting back then! I still have my favourite scissors, many used cuticle scissors due to the curved blades, my preference is curved iris scissors.

The cluster on the supporting page is made from frayed burlap, a stained teabag, some gold flourishes, old string and a lovely image of a handkerchief full of berries.

I must admit that I am struggling with perfectionism, there are several elements I did more than once because I couldn't quite get it 'right'.