Hidden away under the earth, these tiny, grass-covered homes look like they belong in The Shire. Cheap eco-friendly and cosy, with a rustic style, they are often built-in stunning settings that are the perfect place to get away from it all. Take a peek inside these hobbit homes that are simply magical...

Tucked away in picturesque woodland in River Falls, Wisconsin, this earth home sits on three-and-a-half acres of land. The ideal hobbit hideaway, it has a curved façade and a small door that will take you inside the partially subterranean home. 

Spread over two floors and with 2,200 square feet of space, the underground home is surprisingly spacious. The main living room features a curved ceiling with an unusual round skylight that lets the light flood in and a wood-burning fireplace, so it'll be cosy all year round. 

Always loved the idea of living in The Shire? Self-builder Bogdan Pekalski designed and created this 484-square-foot hobbit home after years of trial and error, eventually naming it Hobbitowa. 

The house has a living room, bathroom and two bedrooms. Bogdan used roundwood from local willow trees, clay for the interior plaster, lime for the exterior plaster and cob stones for the infrastructure. The awesome off-grid home also has its very own water well, domestic sewage works and photovoltaic panels for electricity. 

Inside, the house has a large open-plan living room with a cordwood floor and a cosy open fire. Sharing the fireplace chimney is a kitchenette with a traditional wood-burning stove. Can't you just imagine making cocoa in here?

Nestled in the heart of the Rother Valley and just a short walk from Bodium Castle, this earth house sits in the grounds of a picturesque vineyard. Built by local craftsmen from local materials, it's hidden from sight and buried into a bank with views over the valley. 

Inside, the fairy tale home has 800 square feet of interior space that includes a full kitchen, inside dining and a living area. With a star-covered ceiling, charming round windows and wooden furniture; it's the ultimate hobbit retreat. 

It may be a hobbit home, but the house still has all the modern mod cons. The two small bedrooms feature TVs and matching wooden furniture, with rustic timber beams and cute wooden cupboards for keeping all of your precious items. Head outside and you'll also find a hot tub and alfresco eating space which is perfect for the warmer months. 

This cottage in Chester County, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, was commissioned by a huge JRR Tolkien fan and was built by Archer & Buchanan architects to mirror the writer's description of a typical hobbit home. The exterior shows off unique features such as hand-made clay roof tiles, a Spanish round cedar door and a chimney. 

The cottage is owned by a superfan who's turned the home into a shrine, and is a place to display his Tolkien collection of books, manuscripts and artefacts in a place that befits them – and where they won't get damaged. Remember: keep it secret, keep it safe.

Not just a treasure chest, it's also a relaxing space for anyone who wants to tap into the Bilbo Baggins lifestyle. Inside, the design incorporates arched wooden beams, chandeliers and a fireplace with a stone mantel. 

Construction expert, Ashley Yeates decided to build a hobbit hole in his back garden with a little help from a game friend. He documented his year-long experience on his blog and ended up with a fantastic hideaway in his back garden, worthy of Frodo himself!

Ashley and his buddy began by building a strong wooden frame to support the structure, which was waterproofed to keep out moisture and then covered with soil. The Homemade Hobbit Hole comfortably fits three adults and even has an air-cooling system.

This four-bedroom, chocolate-box cottage – the name of which translates from Welsh into 'little meeting house' – is built on the site of a ruined chapel and was actually constructed in 1972 by renowned architect Christopher Day. With its curved walls and turf roof, it's a real-life hobbit house! While the off-grid home has a couple of solar panels to power low-energy consumption LED light bulbs, there's no central heating or internet. It is a home for those who like to be at one with nature e.g. hobbits.

Downstairs there's also the sitting room, which can double up as a study with views across the valley, plus a living-dining room with three large windows and an open fireplace to huddle around when the temperature really drops in the winter. 

Designed by Simon and Jasmine Dale, this quirky build is a real-life fairy tale home in the woods and was built using basic tools: a chainsaw, hammer and chisel. A tree in the centre was used to prop up the house, which was topped with split logs to create the frame, while the stone and mud from digging were used for the floor, walls and roof. 

Located in Orondo, Washington, this hobbit hole is nestled in the Columbia River gorge. With its classic green round door and surrounded by a wattle fence, it looks like something out of a storybook.  

Insulated from the earth that surrounds it, the home has a tiny 288-square-foot floor plan and features rounded barrel ceilings for the ultimate cosy feel. The main living space has a small seating area with a handmade chessboard and a quirky barrel attached to the wall that's filled with drinking water. 

The bedroom is framed by a round doorway that was crafted from a cable spool with custom metalwork by a local designer. The room features a handmade chandelier, a fireplace, and views out over the orchards when the door is open. 

The magical Earth House Estate Lättenstrasse on the outskirts of Zurich is like something out of a Tolkien novel. Designed by visionary earth architect, Peter Vetsch there are now over 90 of these houses in Switzerland and further afield. 

Tucked away in the rugged Irish landscape of Southwest Donegal in the village of Glencolumbkille, this grass-covered pod is a modern take on the hobbit home. 

With its curved brick façade and glazed exterior, the tiny home, named the Cropod, has its very own secluded courtyard. With views out over the North Atlantic Ocean, it's also just a short stroll to the secluded nearby beach.

Known as the Cropod, the amazing tiny home has just one small bedroom. The open-plan space has just enough room for a living area, a dining table and a small TV. Just imagine waking up to the views out over the rolling hills. 

This tiny green earth-sheltered house, located in Atlantic Beach, Florida, was designed and built by architect William Morgan in 1975 on a sand dune. The home has now been converted into a modern living space and was on the market last year for £1.5 million ($1.9m). 

Due to the mass of sand surrounding these incredible Earthships, the inside is kept to a nice temperature all year round. But if it does get a little warm, there’s always a patio that looks out over the ocean. 

Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Hobbit's Dream is located in the town of Fairfield in Virginia. The authentic home will transport you back to Middle Earth and is shrouded in plants and grass with a shingled entrance and curved porch. 

Each corner of the house has been carefully designed to encompass the hobbit theme. The arched porch is dotted with fairy lights and wooden accessories that have been locally carved – it's the perfect place to sit and curl up with a book, night or day. 

Stepping inside, the main living space features a framed map of the Middle Earth and a cosy fireplace. Through the rounded door frame sits the double bedroom and bathroom.  

A man ahead of his time, The Lord of The Rings trilogy hadn't even been made when Stuart started this project but by using his neighbour's cast-offs and collected tree stumps, this house became a home.

If you are looking for something a little more modern, head to Hobbit House Limited to get an eco-friendly addition to your back garden. The durable and versatile hobbit homes are covered by a 125-year guarantee and come with a real grass roof as standard. 

Inside, the back yard home shelters come with underfloor heating and bricked wall surrounds, which keeps in the heat. In this model, the solid wood flooring and stylish spotlights make the perfect cosy space. 

With each one having a custom design, the dwellings can also be wired to the mains for electricity and water, making it a fantastic option for a quirky guest home. Prices start at £7,995 ($10k). Are you feeling the need to burrow?

In case you don't recognise it already, it was built as a set for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and covers 14 acres with 44 hobbit homes. As well as this, the set has a dedicated gardening team who have planted almost 3,000 native seedlings on the surrounding farmland to maintain biodiversity in and around the area.

The perfect option if you don't have the resources to build a hobbit home from scratch yourself, these pre-fabricated designs you can build in a flash by Green Magic Homes are ideal. Costing a reported £11,500 ($14.9k), the homes are covered with soil and are designed to become part of the landscape. 

Buried into the hillside, this design in Johnson City, Tennessee, has an unusually clean and modern interior. Tailor-made to your needs, the houses are fully insulated with high-efficiency windows and take a maximum of just six days to assemble.

Completely waterproof, the homes are built with modular components and are assembled by approved builders. Easy to customise, each design comes with a fibre-reinforced polymer framing system and fastenings to secure the structure. The high ceilings, tall windows and expansive living spaces create charming homes that you don't have to be a hobbit to enjoy!

Surrounded by rolling hills and mountain views, this whimsical home sits in the town of Bridesville in British Columbia. Known as Halfling Hideaway, the home is surrounded by 400 acres of pristine countryside in the Okanagan Highlands, which is ideal for hiking and skiing in the winter months. 

This magical home could be straight out of the movies with its grass-covered roof, giant round door and cute lanterns hanging either side of the curved porch. Inside, an abundance of carved wood, cosy candles and an open fireplace, and ornate decorative elements inspired by Tolkien's world creates an enchanting atmosphere. 

The décor is spot on for a Middle Earth household, with an antler chandelier and leather and iron touches lending a Gothic feel to this fantastical dwelling. If you're tempted to try it, the Halfling Hideaway sleeps two in a comfortable double bedroom, and there's a compact kitchen which has everything you need to prepare a simple meal.

Loved this? Check out these flat-pack tiny homes