A Landscape Rich in History

With Sarehole Mill near its centre, The Shire Country Park in Birmingham extends for about four miles along the River Cole. Along with its satellite areas, this is one of the most interesting and varied country parks in the English Midlands both in terms of natural environment and historic legacy.

The Shire Country Park contains a wide variety of habitats and wildlife including around eighty species (some of them rare) of birds, some scarce heathland, and a wide range of plants that include meadow flowers and orchids. Ancient agricultural land use leaves intriguing traces at various points.

The outstanding ridge and furrow field in The Dingles probably dates from the 11th century. There is evidence of agricultural use in Anglo-Saxon times in Priory Fields and there are Bronze Age burnt mounds in Moseley Bog, which have been listed as a scheduled ancient monument.
There are four main pools in the park. Starting at Priory Fields, the pool is sometimes described as a Mill Pool but was, and still is, used as a fish pond. The once nearby mill, scandalously demolished in the 1960’s - truly a heroic age of developmental vandalism - was a windmill. This characterful mill was removed in order to increase the size of a development by one bungalow. The old windmill put up a good fight and was so soundly built that in the end, dynamite had to be used.

Trittiford Pool was originally called Titterford, meaning ‘place of small birds’ and the associated Mill was where Mill Pool Gardens now stand. Trittiford Pool is thought by many to be the inspiration for the Long Lake in The Hobbit. The Mill Pool at Sarehole is a lovely if secluded site. While it is a green oasis it is ‘silting’ up (mostly leaves in fact) and will need to be de-silted if milling is to continue. The pool at the end of Moseley Bog nearest to the Dell was originally a garden feature. Moseley bog itself is the probable basis of the Old Forest in JRR Tolkien's works and was once a feeder pool to Sarehole Mill. There were once very many water mills in the Cole and associated river valleys which were key to both industry and agriculture. Our extract from the map produced by the late John Morris Jones gives an idea of just how many there were.

Beyond Sarehole Mill towards the Stratford Road is the Greet Mill Meadows section in which are set the attractive stepping stone crossings. The park then continues on through the Forman’s Road section to the site of the former Burbury Brickworks, now itself very rich in flora and with attractive wetland area and good viewing points along the ridge away from the river. The Shire Country Park currently extends just beyond Burbury to the bridge leading into The Ackers Trust. One of our long term objectives is to incorporate The Ackers - and a little beyond past the intriguing St Cyprian’s Church - to make a connection with the Kingfisher Country Park, which also continues for several miles further along the River Cole.
As well as Moseley Bog, The Dell and Priory Fields we are seeking to incorporate other areas as satellite green oases. One of these is the surprisingly large area enclosed between Green Road and Cubley Road which itself has a pool and is worthy of designation at least as a site of local interest for nature conservation (SLINC). Another is the green area between the Dell and Moseley Bog below the Wake Green Centre. Again this is well worth keeping as green land and which could be part of an attractive green way linking the Dell with the Bog so enhancing the country park. Part of the land has been used from time to time as a Forest School. There are interesting trees including a small-leafed lime that we understand is indicative of old woodland. Certainly the Tolkien brothers would have played there and walked across this when they lived in Sarehole. The land runs right up to the pool in the bog.
Near to Sarehole Mill, on a strip of land sometimes known as the peninsula, work is progressing on an open-air performance area - a grassed mini-amphitheatre in a natural setting of willows and grassy banks. The Withywindle Performance Arena is being prepared by groups of volunteers (withy is an old word for willows, which the Cole winds through). It is hoped the Arena will be ready next year for outdoor performances, concerts, lectures, picnics or whatever might catch the imagination. The name Withywindle is used by Tolkien in his poem about his character Tom Bombadil: 'He lived up under the hill, where the Withywindle ran from a grassy well down into the dingle.' Those who know Sarehole will also know of the nearby Dingles (the word ‘dingle’ means a wooded valley). It is interesting to think of Tolkien and his brother Hilary exploring this area along the River Cole as children when they lived in Sarehole.

We trust that the preservation, extension and improvement of The Shire Country Park under the auspices of The Shire Country Park Friends will enhance our distinctive and historic area and we await these and other welcome developments with much interest.