[1] Coming out of Selly Oak Library, turn left and walk along until you reach a small recreation ground on your left. Enter the recreation ground and follow the path around until you reach the entrance to George Road.
[2] Walk along George Road and turn left onto Dale Road, past Jarrett Hall on your left. Continue to follow the road round to your right towards Grange Road Gate with a waste ground on your left. Cross over the bridge at Grange Road Gate (this is the Bourne Brook). You are now on the University of Birmingham campus (A).
Birmingham University is a 'red brick' university, a name that was given to the 6 universities that were founded in the Victorian era which were granted university status before World War I. It was founded in Edgbaston in 1900 as a successor to Mason Science College, and has origins dating back to the 1825 Birmingham Medical School. It was the first 'red brick' university to receive a Royal Charter and thus official university status. The university was ranked 12th in Europe and 75th in the world in the 2008 Times Higher Education Supplement QS World University Rankings.
[3] Cross over the zebra crossing and turn right and then immediately left through a green metal gate onto the path that runs through the middle of the sports recreation ground. Be careful here as the surface can be uneven in places. Walk along the tarmac path with the chain-link fence on your left of the 5 a side pitches and the unfenced rugby pitches on your right. Walk along this path till you reach the black motor road that goes to the university south gate. Stop at this road junction. You have south gate on your right, now look left; there is a pink path alongside the black motor road going up towards the ridge alongside all the university buildings. Bear left along that path towards the ridge till you come to some steps beside a stone buttress.
[4] At the top of the steps, turn left to walk along a short tree-lined pathway till you pass a direction sign to Terrace Road. Here, cross over to the pavement and go left. As you walk along that pavement you can see on your right, arches and steps going up to the university law building.
It’s rumoured that these gates inspired Tolkien's Isengard gates in Lord of the Rings.
Where the pavement ends, cross back over Terrace Road to walk a path along a balcony overlooking the sports ground.
[5] Walk along another tree lined path to go down steps and follow the recreation field around to the right and then left along a tree-lined pavement back to the Grange Road gates. Retrace your steps to Selly Oak Library, this time with the derelict land and Jarrett Hall on your right.