Since 2013, The Peaky Blinders has catapulted Birmingham’s name onto the international stage, with a record 131 million people visiting the region in 2018. While the “Peaky effect” has no doubt driven this increased popularity, it isn’t the only work of creative genius to have come from the city.
Did you know that two of the world’s greatest fantasy novels – The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings – were written by J.R.R Tolkien, who spent his childhood in Birmingham? Some of the book’s most famous places, such as the Shire and Hobbiton, were based on real locations around the city.
Here is our guide on how to do the Birmingham Tolkien Trail – the original Lord of the Rings tour.
The Birmingham Tolkien Trail consists of several locations across the city that played a key part in the life of the great author, ranging from his childhood playground at Moseley Bog and Sarehole Mill to his schooling and religious education at King Edwards Grammar School and the Birmingham Oratory.
Not to forget, notable places seen as key influences to some of Middle-Earth’s greatest locations, including Hobbiton, The Shire and the Tower of Orthanc.
Birmingham city council have created this Birmingham Tolkien Trail map, which you can download as a PDF here.
The trail itself is completely free, as you can move between and view the locations across Birmingham at your own leisure.
However, I do recommend visiting Sarehole Mill on a Sunday and taking the excellent “Origins of Middle Earth” guided tour, which lasts an hour and costs £10.
There are also general guided tours available at Sarehole Mill throughout the week and on weekends.
The Birmingham Tolkien Trail can be completed as a day trip, with the time taken being as fast or slow as you like!
Whether you adore The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films, are an avid reader of the books or are simply in the area looking to understand more about the history of the UK’s second city, the Birmingham Tolkien Trail is an excellent day trip.
Explore various locations around the city and allow your mind to run wild, transporting you back 100 years and into the fantasy realms of Middle Earth.
@depthofmindtravel TAKE THIS AUTHENTIC UK LORD OF THE RINGS TOUR 👀 Did you know J.R.R Tolkien grew up in the West Midlands and gained inspiration for Hobbiton, The Shire and the Two Towers from locations in Birmingham, UK? Your one-day Lord Of The Rings itinerary 🙌🏼 🍴Eat at the Hungry Hobbit 📸Tour Sarehole Mill 🌳Explore Moseley Bog 🗼Visit Perrotts Folly Tower & 🗼Edgbaston Waterworks Tower ⛪️Discover the Oratory Church 🍻Drink at the Plough & Harrow 🕰️Finish at Old Joe Clock Tower Full blog here 👇 https://www.depthofmind.com/birmingham-tolkien-trail-the-original-lord-of-the-rings-tour/ #lotr #lordoftherings #lordoftheringstiktok #jrrtolkien #sareholemill #moseleybog #lordoftheringsfan #traveltiktok #fantasybooktok #birminghamuk #visitbirmingham #hiddengems #thehobbit #daytours #thingstodoinbirmingham #westmidlands #ukplacestovisit
♬ Evergreen - Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners
Every adventure starts with a good breakfast to set the tone for the day. Why not stop at the Hungry Hobbit, a local cafe just down the road from Sarehole Mill, before you start the Origins of Middle Earth tour at 10:00am.
Given a three-star rating by the Birmingham Mail, we were welcomed by the staff and served a delicious sausage and bacon sandwich. Sadly, the exterior of the cafe is branded “The Hungry Hobb”, after the firm was threatened with legal action by a US film company owning the rights to several Tolkien brands.
A childhood haunt of J.R.R Tolkien and a key source of inspiration for The Shire, the 250-year old Sarehole Mill is a slice of rural history preserved in the heart of suburban Birmingham. Part of the Birmingham Museums Trust and home to the “Origins of Middle Earth” tour, the mill is still operational.
Supported by friendly, highly knowledgeable staff, it’s a great place to learn about Tolkien’s connections to Sarehole and how the area – and local residents – inspired some of Middle Earth’s most famous characters and locations.
Read our guide to Sarehole Mill’s Origins of Middle Earth tour below.
Now located on a busy main road in suburban Birmingham, 264 Wake Green Road was once 5 Gracewell Cottages in the sleepy, quiet village of Sarehole. Home to John, his mother, Mabel and his brother, Hilary, it was the scene of some of Tolkien’s fondest childhood memories. The house is just a stone’s throw from both Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog.
As a private residency, I didn’t take any pictures out of respect for those living there.
From the Dead Marshes of Mordor to the great Old Forest, Moseley Bog is a magical place that served as a great source of Tolkien’s inspiration. Said to be his first experience of an English forest, he would play in the woods with his brother, setting the foundations for his lifelong love affair with nature and the environment.
Also part of Sarehole Mill’s “Origins of Middle Earth Tour”, Moseley Bog is a 29-acre site with wooden walkways around the forest, enabling visitors to explore at any time of year.
Whether you choose to visit Moseley Bog as part of the tour or on your own, I highly recommend a visit. It almost has an enchanted atmosphere; one in which you can imagine the Hobbits of Middle-Earth walking through, searching for mushrooms!
For more information about our experience of Moseley Bog, read our guide to Sarehole Mill’s Origins of Middle Earth tour here.
You’ve seen the inspiration for The Shire, now how about Minas Tirith, the legendary capital city of Gondor?
Standing 96-feet high, Perrott’s Folly would have been a prominent landmark in Tolkien’s childhood during his education at the nearby Oratory School. It was also very close to his home on Highfield Road after moving into the city from Sarehole.
The Grade-II listed tower was built in 1758 by John Perrott, a local landowner. While the sensible theory is that it was built as an extravagant venue for entertaining, legend suggests it served as an observatory to spy on his unfaithful wife. Who knows?
Regardless, it’s a fantastic piece of Birmingham history and great fun to imagine how it influenced such a key location in The Lord of the Rings!
Walk 170 yards down the road and you’ll see the second tower on Waterworks Road said to have inspired J.R.R Tolkien – the Edgbaston Waterworks Tower. Designed by local architects Martin and Chamberlain, the tower has stood proud since 1870.
Supposedly, Edgbaston Waterworks Tower served as the blueprint for Minas Morgul, the home of the terrifying Witch-King of Angmar and the Nazgul.
There remains some debate as to exactly which Middle-Earth structures Edgbaston Waterworks Tower – and indeed Perrott’s Folly – inspired. After all, Tolkien never confirmed he thought of the two as a pair.
In fact, according to The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien by John Garth (page 155), the title concept of the Two Towers, emerged “only because his publisher insisted the huge story must come out in three installments. He struggled to think of any title to fit the adventures in Rohan as well as the borders of Mordor”.
Personally, I think the Edgbaston Waterworks Tower is reminiscent of Saruman’s Tower of Orthanc. I can certainly see how it could potentially influence its design. Regardless, there’s no doubt both towers likely provided some source of inspiration. Whether they inspired Minas Morgul, the Tower of Orthanc, Cirith Ungol, Barad-Dur or Minas Tirith – you decide?
Okay, so on my travels I’ve had the privilege of visiting some beautiful religious buildings over the years. From La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to Quito’s Basilica Del Noto Nacional, I’ve admired some special places of worship. Little did I know my own city, Birmingham, is home to such a place.
Built in 1848, Birmingham Oratory is constructed in a classical style and is supposedly a superb example of Edwardian baroque architecture. So what does it have to do with Tolkien?
Well, Tolkien’s mother, Mabel, took the boys to the oratory upon converting to Catholicism when they moved from Sarehole to Edgbaston. The church formed a key part of a young J.R.R Tolkien’s education and was home to his guardian, Father Francis Morgan. Through this relationship, Tolkien also met his future wife, Edith Bratt.
I highly recommend taking the time to walk around the Birmingham Oratory, admiring the intricate architecture and soaking in its wonderful atmosphere. As a place of worship, there were people praying there, so it’s important to remain respectful and stay as quiet as possible.
In need of a break and refreshments? The Best Western Plough and Harrow Pub is the perfect place on the Birmingham Tolkien Trail for a pint and some well-earned rest.
Tolkien stayed in the hotel with his wife, Edith, in June 1916; the night before he travelled to France to join the British Expeditionary Force in the Great War. The hotel still has that classic vibe in its decoration and layout.
I imagined sitting there with my partner, Emily, dreading going away to war the next day and the uncertainty of ever coming back. It must have been a terrifying prospect.
As we were doing the Birmingham Tolkien Trail on a Sunday, in order to accommodate Sarehole Mill’s Origins of Middle Earth Tour, we discovered this is the only day the Lounge Bar at the Plough & Harrow is closed to the public. Officially, only hotel residents are able to order drinks from reception to enjoy in the lounge.
However, Emily rang the hotel prior to our visit, explaining we were completing the trail and asking whether we would still be able to visit. The hotel was more than happy to accommodate us and we enjoyed a drink in the wonderful lounge.
Our final stop on the Birmingham Tolkien Trail was the Joseph Memorial Clock Tower at the University of Birmingham. 100 metres tall and the world’s tallest freestanding clock tower, ‘Old Joe” is believed to have been a big inspiration for J.R.R Tolkien. Unfortunately, you can’t go inside the tower, but check out this article in the Birmingham Mail for a rare look inside.
Is it the basis for the Tower of Orthanc in Isengaard? Definitely plausible, when you look at its design. What about its glowing face at night time – the terrifying Eye of Sauron perhaps?
Clearly, I don’t think Tolkien based any of the towers in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as like-for-like replicas of locations in Birmingham. More likely he took different aspects and combined them together, forming the imposing, iconic fortress towers that dominated Middle Earth.
That said, it’s great fun pointing out similarities and theorising what each one inspired.
There are indeed.
Tolkien attended King Edwards Grammar School between 1900 and 1901. Unfortunately, the original building on New Street in which he studied was demolished in 1936, with the school moving to its present site in Edgbaston the year before.
According to the official Birmingham Tolkien Trail guide, an entire corridor was saved, relocated and rebuilt as the New School Chapel. I haven’t been myself, but guided tours are available.
You can also visit the Library of Birmingham; a magnificent 10-storey space in Centenary Square in the heart of Birmingham city centre. The £188m building, which opened in 2013, is home to an extensive collection of Tolkien material in the Archives & Collections section on Level 4.
Although I’ve never viewed this collection, I have visited the Library of Birmingham. I highly recommend it as an experience in itself. In fact, in 2014 it was the tenth most popular tourist attraction in the UK and has the second largest Shakespeare collection in the world!
There you go, the Birmingham Tolkien Trail offers the original Lord of the Rings tour. From Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog inspiring The Shire to Perrott’s Folly & Edgbaston Waterworks mythical influence on The Two Towers, you can let your imagination run wild. After all, that is half the fun of it?
Did Tolkien once imagine Hobbit-like folk on the banks of Sarehole Mill’s pond? Was the ominous smoke and industry of Birmingham city centre on the horizon – in such stark contrast to then-rural Sarehole – the inspiration for the dark, desolate land of Mordor? Of course, the world is a completely different place today, but we loved diving through a portal of history to delve deep into the incredible imagination of J.R.R Tolkien.
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United Kingdom | The complete guide to the Birmingham Tolkien Trail; the original Lord of the Rings tour. Discover what inspired J.R.R Tolkien’s fantasy epic!
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