A Little Brit History: A bit of JRR Tolkein and John Wyndham

Caption Sarehole Mill: Believe it or not this is pretty close to Birmingham City Centre

(Photo By BB B on Flickr, click image)

Every day I drive home from work in Edgbaston, Birmingham to Solihull, a drive of about 12 miles through the city traffic.  About half way home I pass through Moseley, down the Wake Green road and turn up Sarehole road towards Hall Green.  Just before Hall Green, I pass an unremarkable wooded area on the left hand side.  Despite its reputation for concrete and traffic there are actually lots of hidden green areas in Birmingham and it may surprise you to find out that you have probably already heard about this one.

Why have you heard about it? Watch the film clip.

JRR Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892 but came to live in Birmingham with his mother when he was three. The family eventually moved to Sarehole road, now in Birmingham but at that time a rural area. The actual house that the family lived in is now gone but Sarehole Mill where Tolkien is said to have played around is still there. There has been a Watermill on this spot since the 1540′s, originally corn was ground here but it had also been used for metal working during the industrial revolution – most notably by Matthew Boulton.

Moseley Bog, is this where Tolkein saw the tree people the ‘Ents’?  (kcshearon on Flickr click image)

The Mill, it’s water wheel and the Mill pond are still there along with Moseley Bog which is a large area of wilderness – all of it pretty much as Tolkien would have remembered it in the 1890′s. This area had a lasting influence upon Tolkien; he later admitted that it was the inspiration for the Shire in the Lord of the Rings.

Orthanc seen from Minas Morgul? (Waterworks tower seen from Perrots Folly)

by dominiclemoine on Flickr click image

Another part of the city that visitors don’t often see is Edgbaston reservoir – a mile or so to the west of the city centre. Compared to the area around Sarehole mill this is a much more densely urbanised inner city environment. Tolkien’s mother died when he was 12 and it was to this area that he came to spend the rest of his childhood.  Two large towers Towers, Perrot’s Folly and the tower at Edgbaston Waterworks in this area are said to have inspired the Two Towers of the book. These old towers do look rather odd and one can easily see how they might have made an impression on young Tolkein.

Perrots Tower Edgbaston Birmingham By edyta41976 on Flickr

Whilst we are in the area I might as well mention another local boy John Wyndham – why is he famous?

Known as the ‘master of the middle class catastrophe’  Wyndham is also known for the Midwich Cuckoos. He specialised in bringing sudden and unlikely disasters to cosy English settings. As a child, Wyndham had experienced what must to him have felt like disaster.  His parents split up when he was eight and he spent the rest of his childhood at boarding school. One can easily speculate about how this childhood experience must have affected his later imaginings.

Writing the occasional post for Anglotopia has caused me to reflect upon my own area and it’s history. I have been suprised how often this has caused me to notice things that I had really always taken for granted. What about you, wherever you are – what is commonplace around you that you take for granted and others might not? do you drive home past any famous/obscure literary landmarks?  why don’t you share them? – I would love to hear from you!