Sarehole Mill: Boulton's Lease and Tolkien's Inspiration

Situated in Hall Green, Birmingham, Sarehole Mill is a Grade II-listed gem whose current building dates from 1771. Originally a grain mill, it also ground bones for fertiliser. In 1755, Matthew Boulton secured a lease for the mill. While water was the primary energy source, a single cylinder steam engine was added in 1852 to ensure uninterrupted operation. The mill was in use until 1919 and was left to decay until the local community revived it in 1969.

The mill, now beautifully restored, offers visitors not only a glimpse into its timeworn machinery but also a modern bakery. Utilizing its own freshly ground flour daily, the mill bakes bread, though it met a brief halt in operations due to flood damage in 2019 which necessitated repairs, reopening its doors to the public in 2020.

J. R. R. Tolkien lived within 300 yards of the mill at around the turn of the century, between the ages of four and eight, and would have seen it from his house. He later described the site as a 'kind of lost paradise' and used the mill as a location for the Mill at Hobbiton in The Lord of the Rings.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons