Sarehole Mill
Tel: +44 (0)121 777 6612
Entry: Charges apply to the Mill only. The grounds are free to all visitors.
Adults £3
Concessions £2
Children under 16 FREE
Annual multi site pass £16
Free entry on the first Sunday of the month.
Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday 12pm-4pm. Closed Mondays (except Bank Holiday Mondays).
Open 1st April to 28th October.
The 200-year-old mill at Sarehole is one of only two surviving watermills in Birmingham. The cobbled courtyard and mill pool are a tranquil haven from 21st century life outside, while the buildings and their impressive machinery give a unique insight into the lives of the millers who once inhabited this rural retreat.
More than seventy watermills once occupied the riverbanks around Birmingham and there has been one at Sarehole for at least 460 years. Sarehole was first built as a corn-grinding mill but has also been used for rolling sheet metal, grinding blades and wire rolling.
The Mill was once rented to Matthew Boulton before he moved to Handsworth to build his famous Soho Manufactory. The local landscape also provided inspiration for the stories of JRR Tolkien who spent his childhood here.
Highlights at Sarehole Mill include:
- The northwheel, mill gears and grinding stones on the first floor. These can be seen working on demonstration days.
- The bakehouse with the original breadoven from the 1840s, large enough to hold 80 loaves of bread.
- Signpost to Middle-earth - a new exhibition at the mill 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 secluded mill pool – occupied by all kinds of wildlife including moorhens, mallard and herons. Kingfishers are regular visitors.
What's on from May to August 2012
- 19th & 20th May Middle-earth Weekend
- 3rd June Meet the Miller 12-4pm
- 6th June Storytelling in the Courtyard 12.30-1.30pm
- 1st July Meet the Miller 12-4pm
- 8th July Jazz at the Mill 1-3pm
- 5th August Meet the Miller 12-4pm
What's On at All Birmingham Community Museums
For more information on events and activities download a Birmingham Museums What's on Leaflet (pdf). You can also check the What’s On page for listings.
See images of Sarehole Mill taken between 1895 and 1976 on flickr.
