Further information Websites Birmingham Visitor Information: www.visitbirmingham.com Birmingham Museums Trust: www.birminghammuseums.org.uk Birmingham City Council: www.birmingham.gov.uk/tolkien Books The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien (George Allen & Unwin, 1937) The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien (Published in three parts, George Allen & Unwin 1954-55) The Roots of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, Robert S. Blackham (Tempus, 2006) Sarehole Mill Guide, Shena Mason (Birmingham Museums, 2001) Credits Original text researched by Chris Upton, Revised by Kristina Williamson, 2001 and Chris Rice, 2013 TOLKIEN is a registered trademark of ‘The Tolkien Estate Limited’. Images courtesy of Birmingham Museums Trust, Birmingham Libraries, University of Birmingham, Chris Rice and Robert S. Blackham Cover photograph of J.R.R. Tolkien as a young man reproduced by kind permission of Mr. Oliver Suffield. J.R.R. Tolkien at King Edward’s School reproduced by kind permission of the King Edward’s Foundation Archive. Produced by www.davewalshcreative.co.uk Information contained in this guide is correct at the time of publishing With no desire to J.R.R. TOLKIEN return to South Africa, the family settled in the hamlet of Sarehole AND BIRMINGHAM where they lived for four years. In 1900 they moved to a house on the Alcester Road in Moseley from where Ronald could take a tram to King Edward’s School, then located in New Street in Birmingham city centre. The family soon moved again to Westfield Road in Watercolour of Sarehole Mill Kings Heath and by Heike Vajen then to Ladywood and a house (now demolished) in Oliver Road, in order to be near the Catholic Oratory church. Mabel, a recent Professor J.R.R. Tolkien in 1972 convert to Catholicism, drew strength from her new faith. Diagnosed as diabetic, she died in 1904 while convalescing at the Oratory’s retreat near Rednal. J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the best known authors in the world. His epic work The Lord of the Rings (published Following their mother’s death, the boys remained in 1954-55) was voted the most popular book of the the Ladywood/Edgbaston area. They originally lived with twentieth century. His children’s story The Hobbit (1937) their aunt in Stirling Road, but they were not happy and is equally famous, and the two works have been translated moved to lodgings in Duchess Road. Four years later into dozens of languages worldwide. they moved to their last Birmingham address in Highfield Road, where Ronald learnt that he had gained Tolkien lived in nine homes in the south of Birmingham a place at Exeter College, Oxford. With the exception during his formative years from 1895 to 1911, when he of army service, a spell as a lecturer in Leeds and left to study at Exeter College, Oxford. Although he never retirement in Poole, Tolkien was to live and work in lived in the city again, he referred to Birmingham as his Oxford for most of his life. home town and to himself as a ‘Birmingham man’. Later in life he explained that he drew inspiration for his writing Tolkien died on 2 September 1973, aged eighty-one. from the people and landscapes of the city and the surrounding countryside. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on 3 January 1892 in Bloemfontien, now in South Africa. His parents, Arthur and Mabel Tolkien, were originally from Birmingham but had emigrated to further Arthur’s career in banking. In 1895 Mabel took Ronald and his younger brother Hilary to Birmingham to see their grandparents for the first time. Whilst they were visiting her parents in Kings Heath, Mabel received news that Arthur had contracted rheumatic fever. Sadly, he died before she was able to return to South Africa. Kings Heath High Street The Birmingham Tolkien Trail Edgbaston & Ladywood Hamstead Road B i r c Perry h Edgbaston y f Barr a i Waterworks e w e l Tower l d d d i R M o a d ) d 7 o Handsworth Aston o w Perrott’s y (A512 d S ( Folly a o A L h Waterworks o ad d o 3 R R Nechells o la 4 City a l 0 d i ) Roa 4 V Centre d 5 l 4 S e Road Monument Road B4124 1 mile oho H fi A h Stirling Road Lozells ic L Duddeston il l B Plough N 4532 Winson Green ew St West & Harrow t John S d Dudley l 6 5 R e 4 oa i Oratory A d d A454 n a ( Ro A k gley Highfield Ha Roa 6 4 c M 456 5 I A 7 d ) i oa 0 d R B y d ley 4 l g 5 w e a 3 d H Highfield Road 2 10 w M 7 City a Blue Plaque od 5 o y w d y Centre d La ) 56 4 (A oad y R H Hagle ( i Ladywood A g Bordesley h 4 f i 5 e l d M 4 0 R id d d ) l e B w Hall Green & Moseley 4 ay 5 3 2 Edgbaston ( A 4 5 6 P ) ) Stratford Road A34 r 8 i o 3 Road Sarehole r y A Shire City ( 1 R Country Centre 4 d Park A 4 miles B S d a 4 d t o 2 a r R 1 a 7 o t R e W f r ) o e a k 5 r m e d Entrance r l 3 G o e r 4 d e t e Sarehole s Balsall Sparkbrook n i A n i r S ( R Mill B a Heath R Y o l a W is o ad r b a d u d l e r y y 9 Moseley d R W Road a o Bog een 8 a ( o Gr d o A o e R 3 l d Road Sarehole B W o 4 4 Green Road Stratford Road A34 1 C R Entrance a 2 ) Entrance Moseley 7 k r o Ford e e Hall a v G i d P W R e Green a r k n e e s 2 r b G e y 4 n e r C t e lo s e e R s n Rd Co o e 3 le oad B Y R an S a c a T l k wa hirlm d nk R r ns ere Drive Ba A 1 d d hur s l t le e L Co a y ne B 4 146 W o o Shire d Country R 264 Wake Green Park o a Road d Please note: these maps are only an approximate guide to the relative sites. For public transport information contact Traveline on 0871 200 22 33 or visit www.networkwestmidlands.com Gracewell Cottages c.1905 1 264 Wake Green Road 2 Sarehole Mill In 1896 the Tolkien Ronald and his brother Hilary spent many hours family moved to 5 exploring the grounds of Sarehole Mill and being Gracewell Cottages chased off by the miller’s son, whom they nicknamed (now 264 Wake Green the ‘White Ogre’. In the 1960s Tolkien contributed Road) in the hamlet to the public appeal to restore the Mill as a museum. of Sarehole. At the time the area was Today Sarehole Mill is part of Birmingham Museums completely rural and Trust. As well as being a working watermill, Tolkien said that the the museum features the Signposts to Middle Earth times he spent here exhibition which tells the story of Tolkien’s were the happiest connections with Sarehole and the surrounding area. years of his youth. Opening Times Sarehole is said to April-October, Tuesday-Sunday 12.00noon-4.00pm. have been the model Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays. for “The Shire”, the November-March, Weekly guided tours on Fridays home of the Hobbits, and memories of this country at 11am or by appointment. childhood were to colour much of his later writing. Cole Bank Road, Hall Green, Birmingham B13 0BD Please note that 264 Wake Green Road Telephone: 0121 348 8160 is a private residence. Website: www.birminghammuseums.org.uk Watercolour of Moseley Bog by Heike Vajen Moseley Bog The Shire Country Park 3 and Joy’s Wood 4 and Cole Valley Tolkien later lamented the encroachment of the The Shire Country Park follows the attractive and varied suburbs upon his former home but there is one valley of the River Cole as a green ribbon for some four place that ‘civilisation’ missed: Moseley Bog. miles from Small Heath to Yardley Wood. It was named The Bog was an ideal place for Tolkien’s childhood in 2005 to reflect Tolkien’s links with the local area. adventures. It was once a storage pool for Sarehole The park contains wetland, grassland, woodland and Mill, and is also the site of two Bronze Age ‘burnt heath, and supports a wealth of animal, plant and insect mounds’. life. Herons, mallards and moorhens are a common The Bog is recalled in Tolkien’s description of sight, and if you are lucky you may spot a kingfisher the ‘Old Forest’, last of the primeval wild woods, hunting for fish along the meandering river. where ‘Tom Bombadil’ lived. It is now preserved The ford at Green Road (formerly Green Lane) is one as a Local Nature Reserve managed by the of the few remaining fords along the Cole Valley and Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust. would have been very familiar to the young J.R.R.