9th May 2026, I visited the gorgeous Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve in south Birmingham. I had never been before and was graced with a sunny day to explore this amazing wetland and woods.

It is part of the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and is free to visit. It is on a bus route and had a couple of car parks, to find out more please visit their website: https://www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/moseley-bog-plan-visit

Quote from their website: “Moseley Bog was the childhood playground of The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien who lived nearby. He stated that the site inspired the ‘old forest’ in his books, people still visit from all over the world to discover his inspiration for themselves.”

The site is also very near to the Sarehole Mill and the Cole River Valley, including the lovely Swanshurst Park and the Shire Country Park along the river, both well worth a visit too!