THREE RINGS for the ELVEN KINGS

Geography of Middle-earth

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The map below shows Europe as it was when the continental shelf was still above sea level. In particular, it will be noticed that the shelf surrounding the British Isles has a very familiar shape to it, and is of course the huge bulge of Eriador so familiar from the maps of Middle-earth. The position of the Shire corresponds to the English Midlands, with the Old Forest to the east. The rest of Middle-earth falls into place very neatly – though it must be borne in mind that the maps of Middle-earth that appear in Tolkien’s published works were actually drawn by his son Christopher, so we can afford to stretch them a little here and there if necessary. Tolkien did indeed draw maps of his own, but these were mere sketches that were adapted, sometimes incorrectly, by his son. The alteration of coastlines and other features to their present form must have occurred during the Fourth Age. In fact, we can be more specific, and date the upheavals that altered the earth to 2194 BC (909 Fourth Age), the year given for a massive natural conflagration in an ancient Frisian manuscript called the Oera Linda Book.

As for Hobbiton itself, there are some who suppose that this should lie in the same position as Oxford, England – based on a rather vague remark in one of Tolkien’s letters. After studying the evidence, however, it is clear that we should go a few miles to the north-west, to Tolkien’s childhood home of Sarehole, in order to find its true historical location. Here is a map of Hobbiton as it appears in Tolkien’s writings:

Compare this with a modern map of Tolkien’s childhood home of Sarehole. When Tolkien lived there, during the 1890s, it was a tiny hamlet in the county of Worcestershire. Today, however, it is part of the city of Birmingham, and lies on the boundary of Moseley and Hall Green, in the south-east of the city:

This map, which corresponds with the central portion of the previous one, is based around Sarehole Mill (marked with a large ‘M’), which all agree to have been the inspiration for Sandyman’s Mill in Hobbiton. These days it is the location for the annual Tolkien Society festival in May. Ignore for the moment the smaller suburban roads that mostly date from the 1930s. Across the middle of the map, running more or less due west to east, is a much older road which now goes by a variety of names along its length – Swanshurst Lane and Cole Bank Road, for example. This, of course, corresponds to Tolkien’s Bywater Road. Sarehole Mill is located at the junction of this ancient route and Wake Green Road, itself an old trackway. This heads north then north-west until it reaches Moseley Village (off the map), but before it does so it passes Spring Hill College (the large complex marked ‘Schs’ towards the upper left-hand corner), built in the 1850s on a large hill. This hill contains a network of tunnels and underground chambers. The close parallel with The Hill at Hobbiton (and Bag End) should now be obvious, even down to the layout of the original roads (here marked in red). Moseley Village, therefore, corresponds to Overhill. Tolkien’s childhood house, incidentally, lay opposite Sarehole Mill on the other side of Wake Green Road, in the same position as the Old Grange in Hobbiton. The river running from south to north is the River Cole – but this, of course, is in the wrong position to equate with The Water at Hobbiton, which runs parallel to the Bywater Road. Not shown on the map, however, is a much smaller stream that is indeed located in the correct position, which feeds the mill – it is nowadays called the Mill Stream. This, therefore, corresponds to The Water at Hobbiton. If we project its route eastwards we come to the junction of School Road and Stratford Road, near Hall Green Station (off the map). Here there was once a brook and pool, drained in the 1930s, which is in exactly the right position for Bywater Pool. Hall Green, therefore, corresponds to Bywater. There are even a number of pubs located in the correct positions!

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© 1985-2008 Ashbranch

We who of the earth are born

Will lead you through the healing storm,

It’s time to follow the path of the ancient ones!