''The Peninsula' is an area of land near to Sarehole
Mill. For those that have been to the weekend celebrating Tolkien and his
works, it is the area used by the Archers. It is an enclosed, flat area of
grassland flanked on one side by a willow-lined stream and on the other side by a high
grassy bank which has now been landscaped to form a tiered seating performance arena.
Members of Shire Productions, Rangers, NVQ students and a local school have
contributed towards the work. It is hoped the Arena will be used for
outdoor performances, concerts, lectures, picnics or whatever catches the
imagination.
Withy is an Old English word for willow and windle is
a word that comes from winding about. Hence the name which seems to work on several
levels.The name Withywindle is used by Tolkien in his poem about Tom Bombadil that states:
'He
lived up under the hill, where the Withywindle
ran
from a grassy well down into the dingle.'
Those who know Sarehole will also know of the
nearby Dingles through which the willow-lined River Cole runs. Our Dingle is
upriver though but that is a minor detail! For those who might want to know, the
word dingle means a wooded valley. It is interesting to think of Tolkien and his
brother Hilary exploring this area along the River Cole as children, perhaps after being
chased away from the Mill by 'The White Ogre'.
