Tolkien's Guide to Birmingham Part I

It is probably a bit of a cliché now; that Tolkien was influenced in his writing of Lord of the Rings by his upbringing, principally in Birmingham. Many would ask how Birmingham could possibly inspire anyone to write such a timeless novel. Well, I'd be inclined to agree. But it doesn't keep me from being intrigued by the life of a man, born nearly 100 years prior to myself, but with such similar experiences to my own.

I, too, was born in South Africa, which is bound to have had a profound influence on him in terms of landscape and scenery. Now is that Rohan or what? (These were pictures I took in the mountains of the Drakensburg, looking over the border from Lesotho. Perhaps not an exact place Tolkien would have visited, but spectacular nonetheless!)

In my twenties, I too journeyed across Birmingham, in search of a sound foundation in Catholic teaching. I found the same Church as Tolkien's family did (his mother having converted to Catholicism): Birmingham Oratory.

Every time I approach the Oratory's side entrance, I gaze down the Plough & Harrow road to see two glorious Victorian towers of Perrott's folly and Edgbaston waterworks (which we will leave for another day)... and am reminded that I share a very special sight, with the great mind of J.R.R. Tolkien.

I may not be as dedicated as some, but since I live in Birmingham I will certainly make an effort over the coming months to visit some of the places which Tolkien would have known and loved. The path he originally trod has certainly been obscured by decades of industrialisation and development, a vista Tolkien himself would have seen changing over the years - which begs the question; how will I see the forces of 'middle-earth' work in modern Birmingham over my lifetime? Increasing decadence? Moral decay? Sauron works in mysterious ways, and only time will tell...

Part II »