Home Front Legacy 1914-18
Claire Corkill, Chris Kolonko, 2020. https://doi.org/10.5284/1059297. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Council for British Archaeology unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 3366
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1059297
- How to cite using this DOI
Full Record - Tolkien Trail - Gipsy Green (Fladweth Amrod) (PRN: 8718)
| PRN | 8718 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site or location name | Tolkien Trail - Gipsy Green (Fladweth Amrod) | ||||
| Summary | |||||
| Description | In May 1918, Lieutenant JRR Tolkien was posted to Rugeley Camp. His wife Edith and her cousin Jennie Grove found lodgings at Gypsy Green on the Teddesley Estatate (Fladweth Amrod or Nomads Green) a place in Tol Eressa visited by Eriol and mentioned in The Book of Lost Tales. Tolkien would transfer to Brocton Camp in June but would only be there until 27th June when hospitalized in Hull with gastritis. Many of the places on and around the Chase are thought to be linked to Tolkien's 'Book of Lost Tales'. This mythical history of 'Middle Earth' later included in 'The Silmarillion' provided a background for 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings'. At the outbreak of the Great War insufficient barrack accommodation existed for the overwhelming numbers of men enlisting. By December 1914 with over one million recruits new hutted camps were required. Lord Lichfield offered free use of part of his property on Cannock Chase. Two camps were to be constructed on either side of the Sher Brook Valley, Rugeley and Brocton Camps, each capable of holding an Infantry Division of approximately 20 000 men and 5600 horses with their entire associated infrastructure, roads, railway, power, water and sewerage. A workforce of 1000 men were employed through the winter 1914 and spring 1915 erecting a large wooden encampment numbering 500 huts by March 1915 and eventually rising to more than 1500. A military railway later known as 'The Tackeroo' was built in late 1914 to transport construction materials on to the top of the Chase from the railway lines at Hednesford and Milford. The first troops of the Army Service Corps arrived in May 1915 though some accommodation may have been used before this for troops in transit. The 94th Brigade 31st Division was based at Penkridge Bank (Rugeley Camp) from April to July 1915 with Service Battalions of the Accrington Pals (11th East Lancs), Sheffield City, 1st and 2nd Barnsley Pals (12th, 13th and 14th Yorks and Lancs). Occasional use continued through 1915 with other Service Battalions en-route overseas. As the main contingents of the Territorial battalions and Kitchener's New Army had by now embarked for the Western Front the role of the camps changed to training. The camps were ideally placed for this surrounded by heathland where a series of rifle ranges and practice trenches were constructed. The Reserve Battalions of various regiments re-located to the camps in autumn and winter 1915. In September 1916 the Reserve Battalions became Training Reserve Battalions in the newly formed Training Reserve Brigades. The 1st and 2nd Training Reserve Brigades were based at Rugeley Camp with the 3rd Training Reserve Brigade based at Brocton Camp. | ||||
| Monument Type | HISTORICAL SITE;HISTORICAL SITE | ||||
| Desgination | None | ||||
| Material | |||||
| Location | |||||
| Country | ENGLAND | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Bednall | ||||
| Site Location | South from Bednall, East side off Cock Lane on Teddesley Park Estate. | ||||
| Postcode | ST19 5RL | ||||
| Map Reference | NGR: SJ95561675 (395560, 316750) | ||||
| Condition/Threat | |||||
| Condition (Date) | Good (06-11-2016) | ||||
| Related Sites | |||||
| Tokien Trail - Mythical Sites | |||||
| Administration | |||||
| Recorded By (Date) | John M - Geograph (31-10-2006) | ||||
| Copiled On | 06-11-2016 | ||||
| Last Updated | 07-11-2016 | ||||
| Associated data |
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Documentation
| Image metadata | CSV | 590 Kb |
Data
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In May 1918, Lieutenant JRR Tolkien was posted to Rugeley Camp, and his wife Edith found lodgings at Gypsy Green (Cock Lane, Teddesley Park, Penkridge, South Staffordshire, Staffordshire) on the Teddesley Estate. (File name: 8718_883.jpg) |
JPG | 87 Kb |
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In May 1918, Lieutenant JRR Tolkien was posted to Rugeley Camp, and his wife Edith found lodgings at Gypsy Green (Cock Lane, Teddesley Park, Penkridge, South Staffordshire, Staffordshire) on the Teddesley Estate. Monstrous Tree. (File name: 8718_884.jpg) |
JPG | 78 Kb |
