Birmingham Tolkien Trail FOR WEB

Hospital beds inthe Great HallThe University9 of Birmingham10Library of BirminghamDuring the First World War the University ofBirmingham was requisitioned by the army as the1st Southern Military Hospital. Various parts of thecampus were used as temporary wards, includingthe Great Hall.In November 1916 Tolkien was brought to thehospital from the Somme after being diagnosed withtrench fever. He stayed in the hospital for six weeksand although he gradually recovered his health overthe next 12 months he never returned to France.The Chamberlain Tower, the university’s most familiarlandmark, may have been another source ofinspiration for The Lord of the Rings. At night, thetower’s brightly illuminated clockface is thought tohave provided Tolkien with the idea for the terrifyingEye of Sauron.The Great Hall is open to the public during office hours.Telephone: 0121 414 3344Website: www.birmingham.ac.ukThe striking new Libraryof Birmingham holds avariety of original materialrelated to Tolkien in the Archives& Heritage section on Level 4.Next door to the library,a blue plaque on theBirmingham RepertoryTheatre commemorates Dr J. Sampson Gamgee,a local surgeon and founder of the BirminghamHospital Saturday Fund.Tolkien used the name ‘Sam Gamgee’ for Frodo’sfaithful companion in The Lord of the Rings. ‘Gamgeetissue’ was the local name for cotton wool and thesurgeon’s widow lived opposite Tolkien’s aunt inStirling Road so he would have been very familiarwith the name.Telephone: 0121 242 4242Website: www.libraryofbirmingham.com