The Middle Earth Trail
JRR Tolkien was born in South Africa, but lived in Birmingham from the age of 3 until he went to Oxford University aged 18. He lived in several areas in those years including Sarehole (now in Hall Green), Moseley, Kings Heath and Ladywood/Edgbaston.
There are many parts of Birmingham and its surroundings which would have influenced the young Tolkien in his creation of Middle Earth. This trail is designed to take you to some of those places.
Sarehole Mill
Sarehole would have been in the middle of Warwickshire countryside during Tolkien's childhood. While it is still a fairly green area between the more built-up artery roads, the Moseley Bog Nature Reserve (which is much better than it sounds) shows what much more of the area would have once been like. The Sarehole Mill is on the River Cole and is one of only two working water mills in Birmingham.
Tolkien lived within 300 yards of the mill when he was a boy and would have seen it from his house on Wake Green Road. He played on the grounds with his brother, only to be chased away by the grumpy miller. The mill is said to be the great mill mentioned in The Hobbit, and the same bad-tempered miller described in The Lord of the Rings.
---
The Cache
The posted co-ordinates take you to the entrance to the Sarehole Mill car park. The mill is well worth a visit, but it is not required to complete this cache. All the answers are easily available online.
There has been a mill on this site since 15AB
The first steam engine was installed in CD52
The mill was abandoned in 19EF
The mill building is Grade G listed
Final Location
N52° 26. (G-B) (B+E) (D-A)
W01° 51. (G+C+E) (F-A-B) (A+B+G)
---