On the Trail of Tolkien Part 2 - The Two Towers

I happened to be near the Edgbaston part of Birmingham on Monday morning so I decided I'd go along and have a look at the two towers that it has been suggested, (though I have to say not proven!), may have given J R R Tolkien inspiration for "Minas Morgul" and "Minas Tirith" - the Two Towers after which the second volume of Lord of the Rings is named.

The two towers in Edgbaston are Perrott's Folly and a nearby Victorian tower which is part of Edgbaston Water Works. Tolkien would have seen these towers on a regular basis as for while in the early 1900's he lived nearby for a time in Stirling Road and also Oliver Road, he attended the Oratory following his mother's conversion to Catholicism and also visited a local pub "The Ivy Bush".

Perrott's Folly




This tower is 96 feet (30 metres) tall and is named after John Perrott who built it in 1758. This gothic tower contains 7 rooms and there are 139 spiral steps.







Over the years it has been used for many purposes, for example, a country hunting retreat and a weather station.



Today there is a medical practice on one side and a car park on the other!



It is a Grade 2 listed building and is, sadly, in need of restoration. I believe it is now owned by the Trident House Association. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public on a day to day basis and this little garden was overgrown and the entry shut and padlocked.








Apparently the door from the top room onto the tower roof is only 3 feet high - hobbit height!





The other tower is Edgbaston Waterworks Tower - which is in fact a chimney!







A not so romantic view showing the entrance to the waterworks in the foreground





I stopped off at the Oratory (I was running out of time by now so this is just a poor view of the side of the building). Mabel Tolkien (Ronald's mother) together with her sons attended here when they lived nearby. A Father Francis Xavier Morgan became the boys' guardian and helped the family and offered support during Mabel's illness and subsequent death.




I ought perhaps to mention that, although Tolkien lived in Birmingham from 1896 to 1911, in later life he lived in various other parts of England - Leeds and Oxford and also fought at the Battle of the Somme in France, so I am sure there are claims from many other places to have inspired Tolkien in his writings.

A Few More Moths

Monday night's moth trapping session (minimum temperature 8.8 degrees centigrade) produced a few more moths - several new for this year and one possible new garden tick.

Bright-Line Brown-Eye (New for Year)



Dark Arches (New for Year)



Common Marbled Carpet (New for Year)



Angle Shades - I know I've posted a photo of this species before but I couldn't resist doing so again as its one of my favourite moths!



Bee Moth - again another photo of this species but I love the green colouration on this particular individual



Clouded Brindle ???? (this would be a new species for the garden IF! my id is correct)

Edit - Huge thanks to Bennyboymothman (see comment below) for identifying this moth for me - its Dusky Brocade. Still a new species for the garden.



I thought I would never get the chance to id the next moth as every time I opened the pot it was a blur of wings and I had to chase it across the kitchen several times



but eventually it kept still for just a few seconds - I think its another Common Marbled Carpet




As always, please let me know if any of my id's are incorrect or if you could confirm the Clouded Brindle - I really do appreciate all the help I've been given :)

Summary of Moth Trapping Session - Monday 18th June

Minimum Temperature 8.8 degrees centigrade

15w Actinic Skinner Trap


2160 Bright-line Brown-eye (Lacanobia oleracea) x 1 (NFY)

2321 Dark Arches (Apamea monoglypha) x 1 (NFY)

0998 Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) x 1

1764 Common Marbled Carpet (Chlorobysta truncata) x 2 (?) (NFY

1428 Bee Moth (Aphomia sociella) x 1

2327 Clouded Brindle (Apamea epomidion) x 1??? (would be NFG)
Edit This moth is actually Dusky Brocade x 1 (still NFG!) Thanks due to Bennyboymothman

2306 Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) x 1



I've been watching the pond by torchlight on several occasions this week - its amazing how many dragonfly larvae I can see and there are least 6 or 7 Common/Smooth Newts (nowhere near as many as last year). Since seeing my first Tree Bumble Bee a few months ago I am now seeing them all the time - I have released 3 from the garage in the last week!

Another Theatre Trip

David and I went to see "The Just Price of Flowers" on Monday evening - a play written about how Bertold Brecht may have addressed the 2008 financial collapse.

Birmingham Rep co-produced the play with Stan's Cafe - a Birmingham based theatrical group. The short play was set in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century at a time when tulips became exceedingly popular with bulbs selling at incredibly high prices until the financial bubble burst in 1637. This brilliantly simple, straightforward and very witty play explained all the complexities of the financial world. I really enjoyed it and loved the use of origami in the play. It was held in a very atmospheric setting (A E Harris - an industrial space leased to Stan's Cafe by a metal press working company) in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.




Publicity photo for the play from Birmingham Repertory Theatre's website

Flowers, Bees, a Moth and a Moorhen at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

I managed to visit Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens for an hour last week on one of the rare dry and sunny days! I find it fascinating to visit the same garden on a regular basis to follow the changes through the months and seasons.

Melon Grounds










I must admit I am not overkeen on lily type flowers but they are certainly stunning visually.





Approaching the Green House







I love rock roses even though the flowers only seem to last a day - the pink flowers on this variety look as though they are made of tissue paper. We had the same species in our garden and lost it the winter before the last probably due to the cold weather and its one of those plants that I have replaced as I was so upset at losing it.



Worryingly I didn't see one butterfly as I walked round the gardens despite the sunshine but there were plenty of bees and insects nectaring on the flowers.









The Green House



Sadly, I seem to have missed the auriculas in full flower



Lower Wilderness



Perennial Cornflower



and roses



Angelica - this plant is usually buzzing with insects



Grass has been left to grow in the North Orchard allowing wildflowers to flourish



I then left the formal gardens to walk round the Extra Gardens which have a range of habitats - three ponds, an orchard, wildflower meadow, small patch of woodland, stumpery, hedgerows and grassland/scrubby areas.

There are always lots of wildflowers to see in this part of the gardens











Yellow Flags are in flower round the North Pond and moorhens are nesting again this year - right in the middle of the pond!



Sorry for the poor "record" shot - its heavily cropped as I only had the 14-42mm lens with me!



I spent ages trying to photograph this Chimney Sweeper - a day-flying moth. It was constantly fluttering amongst the various grasses hardly ever pausing and the autofocus on the camera struggled with all the grass stems in the way! So another record shot. I was really pleased though as I haven't seen this moth at the Gardens before.



This pretty orange flower growing in the New Orchard is, I think, called Fox and Cubs - a garden escape I believe.





I re-entered the formal part of the gardens by the South Kitchen Garden



The sweet peas here are far in advance of my own at home



Walking back to the Upper Wilderness



Part of the Parterre with the Gazebo and New Trellis in the background



A border by the entrance to the Gardens