//
The Ackers is an outdoor activity centre offering a range of activities, ranging from kayaking and archery to rock climbing and dry slope skiing. Prices vary depending on activity. Skiing/snowboarding sessions £11 for one hour.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
The Dell
A small woodland area that is said to be the Inspiration for Fangorn Forest in the Lord of The Rings. The area is well looked after with a series of wooden platforms and walkways creating pathways to follow. A visit can also be linked in with Sarehole Mill (see above), another haunt of young Tolkien.
Built in 1765, Sarehole Mill is a fine example of one of more than fifty water mills that existed in Birmingham at one time. Matthew Boulton used the Mill for making buttons and for metal rolling until he moved his operations to Soho in 1761. In the late 1890s Sarehole was the childhood haunt of Hobbit author J.R.R. Tolkien, and famously influenced 'The Shire' in The Lord of the Rings. See website for special events. Nearby is Moseley Bog (see 'Parks and nature', below) a woodland said to have inspired Fangorn Forest. Admission to the grounds is free.
The Old Crown lays claim to being the oldest building in Birmingham (purportedly there since 1368, although almost all of the present timber-framed building dates from the early 16th century). Saved from demolition multiple times, it remains an operational pub, also serving food.
Self-styled "Birmingham's Creative Quarter" this eclectic venue plays host to various events, as well as club nights on weekends and some weekdays in what was an actual custard factory in its former life. On bigger nights the large pool at the centre of the venue is drained and turned into a dancefloor with a heated marquee over it.