Moseley Bog was the childhood playground of The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien, who lived nearby. The site inspired the ‘old forest’ in his books The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. People come from all over the world to discover his inspiration for themselves.
Saved from development following a huge public campaign, Moseley Bog was the childhood playground of The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien who lived nearby. He stated that the site inspired the ‘old forest’ in his books, people still visit from all over the world to discover his inspiration for themselves.
The site became a nature reserve and supports a tremendous range of plants, animals and insects. Especially fascinating are the gnarled old trees and the fantastic displays of bluebells each spring. The site also has great archeological interest, having two burnt mounds (one was the first to be discovered in the West Midlands), as well as more recent remains such as the old mill dam and the foundations of Victorian greenhouses.
There has been a mill on this site since 1542, but the current building dates from the mid-18th Century. In the 1850s a steam engine was installed and a chimney built, which provides Sarehole Mill with its distinctive silhouette.
The mill has connections with Matthew Boulton, who leased Sarehole Mill between 1756 and 1761 and used it as a ‘flatting mill’, producing sheet metal used for button manufacturing.
Another famous connection is with the author JRR Tolkien, author of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy. He lived across the road from the mill. Later in life he stated how the mill and rural surroundings inspired his writings of Middle-earth.
Sarehole Mill is now home to a new modern day bakery which serves delicious freshly baked treats! You can now enjoy a pizza in the courtyard, or pre-order a freshly baked loaf of bread with our bake and take service available at our community shop.
The mill has two waterwheels, one of which has until recently been operational and used to grind wheat. Sadly the waterwheel at Sarehole Mill is currently out of action and we are unable to operate the machinery due to flood damage at the site last the year. We are currently working to return the waterwheel to full working order. Keep an eye on our social media for updates, but in the meantime there are lots of fun events and activities to enjoy at the Mill throughout 2020, see our What’s On page for details.