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Funding secured for Tolkien's inspiration
Jan 7 2005
By Neil Connor, Birmingham Post
Campaigners are celebrating after securing funding to renovate an iconic Birmingham building which was the inspiration for JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
More than £70,000 will be spent on emergency repairs at Perrott's Folly on Waterworks Road following fears that the structure could topple over.
Campaigners set up the Perrott's Folly Company two years ago after the building was closed following safety concerns, but they are now aiming to open it as a tourist attraction.
Stephen Hartland, a director of the company, said the structure would have a new lease of life following the allocation of the cash from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, English Heritage and Birmingham City Council.
He said: "At the moment visitors have to look at Perrott's Folly from a distance but there are some wonderful views from inside.
"This is really good news, not only for Birmingham but for the local community, who will have a valuable tourist attraction on their doorstep."
The 96ft-high Perrott's Folly and the nearby Waterworks Tower, in Edgbaston, are seen by many as the reallife inspiration for Tolkien's Twin Towers of Gondor.
The funding follows the renaming of The Millstream Project in Hall Green as The Shire Country Park earlier this week. That site was also closely associated with Tolkien during his time in Birmingham.
Dennis Minnis, chairman of the Perrott's Folly Company, said the restoration of the Folly would be another boost for Birmingham's claim to be the 'Tolkien City'.
He said: "Birmingham, and indeed Edgbaston, provided much inspiration for Tolkien, so I am sure that people who are interested in The Lord of the Rings will be more likely to visit the city if the buildings associated with the writer are opened to the public."
Mr Minnis said a campaign to raise £1 million to fund the long-term future of the Folly would be launched in the summer.
