Moseley Bog
Encyclopedia
Moseley Bog is a nature reserve
in the Moseley
area of Birmingham
in England
, at .
It was once a secondary reservoir to feed the millpond of Sarehole Mill
. Although now drained, the embankment on its eastern side remains. The Coldbath Brook flows from Coldbath Pool through a culvert
, through the Bog as an open stream, and is then culverted to the millpond.
It was declared a Local Nature Reserve
(LNR) by Birmingham City Council on 17 July 1991. Much of the area comprising Moseley Bog was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) in 1980. However, following its LNR declaration and re-evaluation by English Nature
the site was denotified as an SSSI on 21 July 1992, but remains a locally designated Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
In 2000 it was formally renamed Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood Local Nature Reserve, in recognition of the work of urban conservation campaigner Joy Fifer to protect the site. Fifer led the successful "Save Our Bog" campaign in 1980 which saved the site from development and helped kick start the Urban Wildlife movement.
There are also burnt mound
s in the banks of the Coldbath Brook dating back to the Bronze Age
, which, with their surrounding areas, are Scheduled Ancient Monument
s.
The first ever International Dawn Chorus Day
event was held there in 1984, by the Urban Wildlife Trust.
J. R. R. Tolkien
lived nearby, as a child, and acknowledged the site as inspiration for the ancient forests in his books The Lord of the Rings
and The Hobbit
. Nearby Sarehole Mill
and the surrounding area on the River Cole
is said to have been inspiration for Tolkien's writings.
A house adjacent to the reserve (since demolished) was used by reggae
band UB40
for their earliest recordings.
The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country now leases Moseley Bog from Birmingham City Council
. In August 2006 a public consultation on proposals to conserve the site, enhance access and encourage a wider audience was launched. In March 2010, a lottery grant of £376,500 was awarded for improvements and restoration and on 26 June 2011, a formal reopening was conducted by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Anita Ward.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
in the Moseley
Moseley
Moseley is a suburb of Birmingham, England, two miles south of the city centre. The area is a popular cosmopolitan residential location and leisure destination, with a number of bars and restaurants...
area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, at .
It was once a secondary reservoir to feed the millpond of Sarehole Mill
Sarehole Mill
Sarehole Mill is a Grade II listed water mill on the River Cole in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. It is now run as a museum by the Birmingham City Council. It is one of only two working water mills in Birmingham, with the other being New Hall Mill in Walmley, Sutton Coldfield.Built in 1542 on...
. Although now drained, the embankment on its eastern side remains. The Coldbath Brook flows from Coldbath Pool through a culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
, through the Bog as an open stream, and is then culverted to the millpond.
It was declared a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
(LNR) by Birmingham City Council on 17 July 1991. Much of the area comprising Moseley Bog was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI) in 1980. However, following its LNR declaration and re-evaluation by English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
the site was denotified as an SSSI on 21 July 1992, but remains a locally designated Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
In 2000 it was formally renamed Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood Local Nature Reserve, in recognition of the work of urban conservation campaigner Joy Fifer to protect the site. Fifer led the successful "Save Our Bog" campaign in 1980 which saved the site from development and helped kick start the Urban Wildlife movement.
There are also burnt mound
Burnt mound
A burnt mound is an archaeological feature consisting of a mound of shattered stones and charcoal, normally with an adjacent hearth and trough. The trough could be rock-cut, wood-lined or clay-lined to ensure it was watertight...
s in the banks of the Coldbath Brook dating back to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, which, with their surrounding areas, are Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
s.
The first ever International Dawn Chorus Day
Dawn chorus (birds)
The dawn chorus occurs when songbirds sing at the start of a new day. In temperate countries, this is most noticeable in spring, when the birds are either defending a breeding territory or trying to attract a mate. In a given location, it is common for different species to do their dawn singing at...
event was held there in 1984, by the Urban Wildlife Trust.
J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
lived nearby, as a child, and acknowledged the site as inspiration for the ancient forests in his books The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
and The Hobbit
The Hobbit
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, better known by its abbreviated title The Hobbit, is a fantasy novel and children's book by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald...
. Nearby Sarehole Mill
Sarehole Mill
Sarehole Mill is a Grade II listed water mill on the River Cole in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. It is now run as a museum by the Birmingham City Council. It is one of only two working water mills in Birmingham, with the other being New Hall Mill in Walmley, Sutton Coldfield.Built in 1542 on...
and the surrounding area on the River Cole
River Cole, West Midlands
The River Cole is a river in the English Midlands. It rises in Redhill, near Kings Norton, South of Birmingham. After flowing through Birmingham, it passes Coleshill, to which it gave its name. It joins the River Blythe, of which it is a tributary, near Ladywalk, shortly before the Blythe meets...
is said to have been inspiration for Tolkien's writings.
A house adjacent to the reserve (since demolished) was used by reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
band UB40
UB40
UB40 are a British reggae/pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.Their hit singles...
for their earliest recordings.
The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country now leases Moseley Bog from Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
. In August 2006 a public consultation on proposals to conserve the site, enhance access and encourage a wider audience was launched. In March 2010, a lottery grant of £376,500 was awarded for improvements and restoration and on 26 June 2011, a formal reopening was conducted by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Anita Ward.