Sarehole Mill is located on Cole Bank Road between Hall Green and Moseley. In what was historically the hamlet of Sarehole.

Sarehole Mill from Cole Bank Road (April 2009). Photography by Elliott Brown

Cole Bank Road
Birmingham, B13 0BD
0121 348 8160

Click here for the official Sarehole Mill website.

The History of Sarehole Mill

Sarehole Mill is a Grade II listed watermill located in the Sarehole area of Birmingham (now on the Moseley / Hall Green border). You can access it now via the car park on Cole Bank Road (via the building used as the shop and ticket office now). The River Cole flows past the mill through the Shire Country Park. It is known for it's association with J. R. R. Tolkien. There had been a mill on this site as early as 1542. It was once known as Bedell's or Biddle's mill, after a name of an early owner. By 1727 it was known as High Wheel Mill. Matthew Boulton leased the mill as early as 1755, and he converted the mill to metal working. The current mill was built in 1771 and was in used until 1919. After that it fell into disuse and was derelict until it was restored in 1969, and taken over by Birmingham City Council. The Birmingham Museums Trust took over the running of the mill from the Council in 2012 and is now a museum.

Inside Sarehole Mill (February 2020). Photography by Elliott Brown

The Bakehouse

The Bakehouse at Sarehole Mill had been out of use for almost 150 years. The last baker was William Anderton, who retired in 1872, after baking here for almost 20 years. It was restored and reopened early in 2020. Used to bake bread, pizza, rolls, buns etc. They opened a pizza restaurant in the courtyard (late summer to mid autumn 2020), where paying customers could sit on tables outside, these were later covered with weatherproof pizza pods. During the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, a shop was opened selling essential items, including bread and pasta.

The Bakehouse at Sarehole Mill (February 2020). Photography by Elliott Brown

The Mill Pool

To the back of Sarehole Mill is some gardens, and there is a Mill Pool. The water here was used to drive the waterwheel, which in turn would move the millstone, and grind the corn into flower. In the autumn and winter, the mill pool usually gets filled full of algae. The Coldbath Brook is connected to the mill pool and leads to the River Cole.

The Mill Pool at Sarehole Mill (February 2020). Photography by Elliott Brown