The young Tolkien spent his formative years in Birmingham & the West Midlands, and many of the places he visited & played at helped shaped his literary works.
Tolkien moved to Sarehole after leaving South Africa. The mill had a great impact on his writing, featuring in The Hobbit.
Also, check out Sarehole Mill in icBirmingham's Day's Out entry.
Widely believed to be the inspiration for The Two Towers in the second volume of Lord of the Rings, Perrott's Folly & the Birmingham Waterworks are located near where Tolkien lived following the death of his mother.
Tolkien lived next door to the Birmingham Oratory on the Hagley Road for a time and following the death of their mother Father Francis Morgan played a strong role in the boy's upbringing.
King Edwards School New Street, Birmingham
Apart from a short time when he was forced to leave because of money problems, Tolkien recieved much of his childhood education here before going on to university.
