JRR Tolkien's links to Sarehole Mill
Sarehole Mill was a childhood haunt of celebrated author JRR Tolkien. Born in South Africa in 1892, his family moved to Birmingham in 1896 and lived close to the mill for four years. Tolkien and his brother spent many hours playing around the mill. This and other local settings such as the Moseley Bog provided inspiration for 'Hobbitton' and 'The Shire' in his books The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Tolkien contributed to the restoration of the Mill in the 1960s.
Sarehole 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 (PDF).
Tolkien Links
Birmingham City Council's Archives and Heritage Service Tolkien pages
Sarehole Mill Yard 1895
