[4] The forested area of the bog is a surviving fragment of primeval wildwood, much of the surrounding parts of which had been cleared by the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, replaced with meadowland and common land, used for grazing livestock and strip farming.

[5] The western half of the current nature reserve, adjoining the bog, had been used by Birmingham City Council as a landfill site from 1960 to 1973, when it was levelled off and converted into a playing field for Moseley School.

In March 2010, a lottery grant of £376,500 was awarded for improvements and restoration[7] while management of the site was leased to the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country by the city council.

The firepit in Joy's Wood, where bonfires are allowed, is a popular meeting place for local Pagan groups, including the Daughters of Frya – Oera Linda Order of Priestesses[8] and Dinas Canolog – The Grove of the Central City.

[10] J. R. R. Tolkien lived nearby, as a child, and acknowledged the site as inspiration for the ancient forests in his books The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.