Birmingham Tolkien Trail FOR WEB

Watercolour of MoseleyBog by Heike Vajen3Moseley Bogand Joy’s Wood4The Shire Country Parkand Cole ValleyTolkien later lamented the encroachment of thesuburbs upon his former home but there is oneplace that ‘civilisation’ missed: Moseley Bog.The Bog was an ideal place for Tolkien’s childhoodadventures. It was once a storage pool for SareholeMill, and is also the site of two Bronze Age ‘burntmounds’.The Bog is recalled in Tolkien’s description ofthe ‘Old Forest’, last of the primeval wild woods,where ‘Tom Bombadil’ lived. It is now preservedas a Local Nature Reserve managed by theBirmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust.The Shire Country Park follows the attractive and variedvalley of the River Cole as a green ribbon for some fourmiles from Small Heath to Yardley Wood. It was namedin 2005 to reflect Tolkien’s links with the local area.The park contains wetland, grassland, woodland andheath, and supports a wealth of animal, plant and insectlife. Herons, mallards and moorhens are a commonsight, and if you are lucky you may spot a kingfisherhunting for fish along the meandering river.The ford at Green Road (formerly Green Lane) is oneof the few remaining fords along the Cole Valley andwould have been very familiar to the young J.R.R. Tolkien.The Bog is a short walk from Sarehole Mill via ThirlmereDrive and Pensby Close. The site can also be accessedfrom the entrance on Yardley Wood Road or fromWake Green Playing Fields via Windermere Road.Telephone: 0121 454 1199Website: www.moseleybog.org.ukThe Birmingham Parks Ranger Service and The Friendsgroup run a range of events and activities in The ShireCountry Park.For more information telephone 0121 675 0937or visit The Shire Country Park Friends website:www.shirecountryparkfriends.org.uk