Sarehole Mill

Cole Bank Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, B13 0BD

Tel: +44 (0)121 777 6612

Entry: Charges apply to mill only. Grounds and visitor facilities are free to all visitors.
Adults £3
Concessions £2
Under 16s FREE
Annual multi site pass: £20 individual, £30 joint
Free entry on the first Sunday of the month.

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday 12pm-4pm. Closed Mondays (except Bank Holidays).

Open Saturday 30 March - Sunday 3 November 2013.

Find Us

Sarehole Mill is one of only two surviving working watermills in Birmingham. The existing building was constructed around 1750, although there was known to be a mill here as early as the Tudor period. Today the mill is best know for its association with the author JRR Tolkien who spent part of his childhood nearby and who used the site and its surroundings as the inspiration for the Shire in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Although now surrounded by the Birmingham suburbs, the mill retains a tranquil rural atmosphere and the millpond provides a haven for wildlife including kingfishers, herons and a range of other species.

Over the winter of 2012-13 the mill has undergone a major £450,000 restoration and refurbishment project. The works consisted of desilting and restoring the historic millpond and its sluice gates, the refurbishment of the Grade II listed mill building, new millstones and milling furniture, and the restoration of the Victorian bakehouse with its original oven dating from the 1850s.

The project means that Sarehole can continue to operate as a working watermill and be enjoyed by future generations. From Easter 2013, as well as being able to regularly mill and produce our own flour for sale, museum staff and volunteers will also demonstrate traditional bread baking using the historic oven on special event days.

Highlights at Sarehole Mill include:

• The original main waterwheel, mill gears and grinding stones which visitors can see in action most days
• The bakehouse with the original breadoven from the 1850s, large enough to hold 60 loaves of bread.
• Signposts to Middle-Earth – this family-friendly exhibition explores the connections of JRR Tolkien with Sarehole Mill and the surrounding area. The Mill is part of the Tolkien Trail, which follows the childhood footsteps of the author and the places that influenced his writing. Download the Tolkien Trail leaflet.
• The mill pool – newly desilted and returned to its original size. This tranquil pond is a haven for wildlife including herons, mallards and moorhens - and if you are lucky you might spot our resident kingfisher! We now have a pond-dipping platform and visitors can hire nets and see what minibeasts they can catch (Subject to availability. Children must be supervised by adults).

What's On at Sarehole Mill

• From Mordor to the Misty Mountains. 30th March - 31st October. Exhibition free. Normal admission charges apply to the rest of the mill.
• Middle Earth weekend.11th–12th May. 11am–5pm. Free.
• Holiday craft activities. Children’s craft activities every Wednesday and Thursday during the school holidays. 1pm-3pm. £1 per child. No booking required. Normal admission charges apply to the mill. 
• The origins of Middle-earth guided walks. Sun 21st April; Sun 30th June; Sun 28th July; Sun 25th Aug; Sun 22nd Sept; Sun 20th Oct. £6. Booking essential.
• Launch of Birmingham REP audio walk. 16th June. 11am-4pm. Free. Normal admission charges apply to the mill.
• Simply messing about with boats. 11th August. Boating event free. Normal admission charges apply to the mill.

What's On at All Birmingham Museums' Heritage Sites

For more information on events and activities at all the heritage sites check the What’s On page for listings. 

See images of Sarehole Mill taken between 1895 and 1976 on flickr.