The Shire Country Park

The Shire Country Park

The Shire Country Park is a linear urban park running along the River Cole and the Chinn Brook in South Birmingham. It is closely associated with the late author Professor J.R.R. Tolkien CBE (1892–1973), who lived in the hamlet of Sarehole at the end of the nineteenth century. Indeed, the name of the Shire Country Park is directly influenced by Tolkien's fictional works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; The Shire being the green and pleasant country where the hobbits lived.

The Shire Country Park was created by Birmingham City Council in January 2005. It includes such important sites as Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog. The Park is looked after by the Shire Country Park Rangers; they are employees of Birmingham City Council. Much of the work in promoting the Park is done by the Birmingham Tolkien Group.

The Birmingham Tolkien Group

The Birmingham Tolkien Group is a formally constituted organisation which is made up of a cross section of the local communitity and various other interested groups. These include Birmingham City Council, The River Cole and Chinn Brook Conservation Group, The Hall Green Local History Group, The Tolkien Society, The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country. The group was formed to promote the area that forms The Shire Country Park and the adjoining areas which the Group wish have included in the Park. A further aim of the Group is to create a visitors centre for the Shire Country Park.

Much assistance and advice is given to the Birmingham Tolkien Group by the local district of Birmingham City Council.