Birmingham's Lord of the Rings trail: The 8 sites in Birmingham that inspired JRR Tolkien - in pictures

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Published 27th Jan 2025, 11:25 GMT

Updated 27th Jan 2025, 11:26 GMT

Here are the areas of Birmingham that helped inspire Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings

The writer and creator of one of the most successful film franchises of all time JRR Tolkien grew up in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham and even attended King Edward’s School and later St Philip’s School.

The Lord of the Rings writer was born in South Africa but moved to the West Midlands with his family after the passing of his father. He began writing the books between 1937 and 1949, with The Lord of the Rings finally released in 1954.

Some of the mythical locations in the book took huge inspiration from areas of Birmingham and are hiding in plain site today. Here are the spots that you can find in his books

Tolkein spent much of his time as a young boy at the Moseley Bog.
It used to be a storage pool for Sarehole Mill and also has two Bronze Age ‘burnt mounds’. The author was inspired by the Bog when creating the the “Old Forest” in his books, where ‘Tom Bombadil’ lived.
The area is preserved as a Local Nature Reserve managed by the Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust, according to Birmingham Museums.

1. Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood, Moseley

Tolkein spent much of his time as a young boy at the Moseley Bog. It used to be a storage pool for Sarehole Mill and also has two Bronze Age ‘burnt mounds’. The author was inspired by the Bog when creating the the “Old Forest” in his books, where ‘Tom Bombadil’ lived. The area is preserved as a Local Nature Reserve managed by the Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust, according to Birmingham Museums. | Flickr

While it is a private residence now, it used to be 5 Gracewell Cottages in the hamlet of Sarehole. When the Tolkein family moved here in 1896, it was a rural area and Sarehole is seemingly the model for “The Shire”, the place where the Hobbits live.

2. 264 Wake Green Road

While it is a private residence now, it used to be 5 Gracewell Cottages in the hamlet of Sarehole. When the Tolkein family moved here in 1896, it was a rural area and Sarehole is seemingly the model for “The Shire”, the place where the Hobbits live. | Google

The author spent several hours exploring the Mill with his brother Hilary. They were often chased away by the miller’s son, whom they called the “White Ogre”. The Mill is part of Birmingham Museums Trust and features the Signposts to Middle Earth exhibition. Tolkein had campaigned to save the Mill in the 1960s.

3. Sarehole Mill

The author spent several hours exploring the Mill with his brother Hilary. They were often chased away by the miller’s son, whom they called the “White Ogre”. The Mill is part of Birmingham Museums Trust and features the Signposts to Middle Earth exhibition. Tolkein had campaigned to save the Mill in the 1960s. | Sarehole Mill museum - google maps

A view of the Waterworks tower at Edgbaston Pumping Station taken from the top of Perrott's Folly. The Waterworks tower along with Perrott's Folly are believed to be influences on Tolkien and his creation of the second book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy: The Two Towers. The tower and buildings were designed by local architects Martin and Chamberlain in c1870, and are now managed by Severn Trent Water to provide the domestic local water supply.

4. The “Two Towers” of Edgbaston

A view of the Waterworks tower at Edgbaston Pumping Station taken from the top of Perrott's Folly. The Waterworks tower along with Perrott's Folly are believed to be influences on Tolkien and his creation of the second book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy: The Two Towers. The tower and buildings were designed by local architects Martin and Chamberlain in c1870, and are now managed by Severn Trent Water to provide the domestic local water supply. | Birmingham City Council

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