Efforts to preserve Birmingham's Moseley Bog, the nature reserve that inspired author JRR Tolkien, have been awarded a £376,500 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant.

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country is behind the project to restore the site, which inspired Tolkien's novels, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Work will be carried out to revitalise Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood Local Nature Reserve as a new green space for people of all ages to enjoy, which will reverse a number of years of decline.

The bog site provides a home for a wide range of animal and plant species, while boasting two Bronze Age burnt mounds designated as Scheduled Ancient Monuments. Neil Wyatt, chief executive of the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country, said: "This is a remarkable reserve on its own merit, yet this place means so much to so many people, in so many different ways. It inspired Tolkien, and it has inspired local people to stand up for their local greenspaces across the country."

Natural England's regional director for the West Midlands, Roger Owen, added: "The site will be transformed into Tolkien's Nature Reserve becoming a high quality natural asset with access for all."