Tolkien's Middle Earth
It was only a matter of time before the AZ City Walks took us exploring in the footsteps of one of Birmingham's more celebrated sons.
Yet there is still no blue plaque marking his childhood house.
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| 5 Gracewell Cottages is now 264 Wake Green Road |
Moseley Bog is closely associated with J.R.R. Tolkien’s childhood and is widely regarded as an inspiration for the Old Forest in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien moved to nearby Sarehole in 1896, aged four, with his mother and younger brother, and lived there until 1900; he later described his time in the area as among the happiest and most formative of his childhood. He explored the surrounding countryside extensively, including the woodland and former millpond of what is now Moseley Bog, which survived as a relatively wild area while much of the surrounding countryside was later built over. Birmingham City Council notes that Tolkien acknowledged the Bog as an inspiration for the ancient forests in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, while Birmingham Museums connects the wider Sarehole landscape, including Sarehole Mill, with his creation of Middle-earth.
A fair amount of country walking here - Moseley Bog is small, wild and fortunately covered with boardwalks to keep your feet dry. A long section along the River Cole passes a ford crossing and the ripe-for-anagramming Sarehole Mill. Terraced streets at school chucking out time are enough of a reminder that you are in the big city.
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| Over the boardwalk |
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| Haunt |
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| Sarehole Mill |
If hairy-footed hobbits, bearded dwarves, lumbering Ents, or assorted orcs, elves and wizards aren't your thing, then maybe an unlikely collection of Grade II listed buildings are.
The Wyke Green Prefabs were built at the end of WWII to provide emergency housing. They were designed to last 10 years.
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| Unlike Tolkien's House, these get Council recognition |
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| Prefabs Sprouting |
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