Deep in the Old Forest
The Wildlife Trust nature reserve at Moseley Bog & Joy's Wood LNR comprises an old, damp woodland and bog, on the site of a former mill pond and Joy's Wood - woodland and grassland created in the early 1980s
You can now find out more about the reserve at its dedicated website www.moseleybog.org.uk
Saved from development following a huge public campaign, the site became a nature reserve and supports a tremendous range of plants, animals and insects. Especially fascinating are the gnarled old trees and the fantastic displays of bluebells each spring.
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 come from all over the world to discover his inspiration for themselves.
The site also has great archeological interest, having two burnt mounds (one was the first to be discovered in the West Midlands), as well as more recent remains such as the old mill dam and the foundations of Victorian greenhouses.
We secured some much-needed funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to do work on the site. The fantastic new interpretation boards are now in place. The new all access boardwalk is complete and allows access to wheelchair and pushchair users. A considerable amount of the paths have been improved and the entrance feature and car park will be completed shortly. To demonstrate the value of this sort of work to society, we have undertaken an economic evaluation of this project.
Visiting the Reserve
Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood lie approximately 3 miles south of Birmingham City Centre, situated between Sparkhill and Billesley, Hall Green and Moseley or between Yardley Wood Road and Wake Green Road.
Access points are situated at various points along the Yardley Wood Road or the playing fields to the north (these both have car parks. The Yardley Wood Road car park has some disabled parking but the main car park is only open for events). There is also an entrance at the end of Pensby Close.
Opening hours: Open at all times
Yardley Wood Road
Moseley
Birmingham
West Midlands
B13 9JX (nearest)
Grid Reference: SP094821
Contact Details
All enquiries to:
The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country
info@bbcwildlife.org.uk
0121 454 1199
or find out more at www.moseleybog.org.uk
Supported by:
.jpg)
.jpg)
