When imagining Middle-earth, many of us probably picture the snow-capped mountains and dense, gloomy forests of New Zealand thanks to Peter Jackson’s iconic adaptations of ‘The Lord of the Rings’. But J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary fantasy world began life in Birmingham.
The city’s clash of industrial heritage and bucolic greenery is deeply rooted in Tolkien’s three-book epic—whose childhood home can be found at 264 Wake Green Road. And just a stone’s throw away from where he grew up, you can find one of the books’ biggest influences, Moseley Bog.
The Old Forest
Inspired by this enchanting, ancient woodland, we encounter it in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ as The Old Forest. In the book, it is described as dark and tangled, and the hobbits are scared of travelling through it, believing it to be “awake”, and are even trapped by Old Man Willow before being rescued by the whimsical Tom Bombadil.
Re-reading these early chapters is an insight into a young Tolkien’s impressions of Moseley Bog: creepy, terrifying, magical. In later life, he would describe the nature reserve as a “kind of lost paradise.” But to truly understand its inspiration, you must visit yourself and amble through its gnarled old trees.
Moseley Bog
You won’t find many activities at Moseley Bog, but it’s great for exploring. It’s made up of both wet and dry woodland, with patches of fen growing on the site of an old millpond. There are many paths to follow, with entrances off Yardley Wood Road, Pensby Close, and across the field from Windermere Road.
Joy’s Wood, the younger part of the nature reserve, used to be where huge amounts of waste was once dumped, but has been transformed in recent years into a grassland haven. The area is also home to two burnt mounds, which date back to the Bronze Age, that are designated as Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
Middle-earth
J.R.R. Tolkien is well-known for taking inspiration from real-world landmarks. Just the other side of his childhood home from Moseley Bog is Sarehole Mill, which inspired The Old Mill in ‘The Hobbit’. It still has that ‘Hobbiton feel’, and often hosts many Tolkien-related activities and events to nerd out on.
Stepping deeper into the city, you’ll also find two towers—yes, maybe those ‘Two Towers’—that are said to have had a huge influence on the fantasy series. Edgbaston Waterworks Tower and Perrot’s Folly are said to have been the inspiration behind Minas Morgul and Orthanc…
