A cache by TheSharksmiths Message this owner

Hidden : 6/26/2020

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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.

Isengard

It is possible that the inspiration for Middle Earth's Isengard is the early 19th Century industrial Birmingham that Tolkien would have known. Although the Industrial Revolution was before his time, Tolkien would have seen its lasting legacy.

Isengard in The Lord of the Rings is in the midst of industry increasingly taking over the forests and greenland. Tolkien had moved from the lush countryside of Worcesterhire to the inner city in the Ladypool/Edgbaston area, and may have seen that this greenary was being encroached upon constantly for the sake of industry and progress. The industry of the time, and perhaps specifically of Birmingham, seems to be embedded into Middle Earth. Isengard is translated as Iron Town in both Old English and Tolkein's fantasy language, and Saruman is described by Treebeard of the Fangard Forest as having 'a mind of metal and wheels'.

Not much remains of the factories and foundries that were around during Tolkien's time in Birmingham, one survivor being the Soho Foundry. Or at least a part of the original building complex. The Soho Foundry was originally built by Birmingham-born industrialist Matthew Boulton and steam engine innovator James Watt for the manufacture of their steam engines. The Soho Foundry and its business was bought by Digbeth-based weighing machine manufacturer W&T Avery with the factory eventually soley producing weighing machines. Several acquisitions later, and the site is now owned and run by Avery Weigh-Tronix, still producing industrial weighing machines.

Black Patch Park

Opposite the Soho Foundry is Black Patch Park, which before becoming the municipal park it is today in 1910, was once a Romani campsite who lived on top of a thick black layer of foundry waste. It was once surrounded by engineering companies employing thousands of people, mostly completely gone except for the frontage of the Soho Foundry. The area is not exactly salubrious, as with many post-industrial areas.

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