The Forsaken Inn was a day's journey east of Bree along the East Road. (A Knife in the Dark; Bk 1.)
South of Bree the Greenway passed through the defile of Andrath on its way to Tharbad and the south, and was later joined by the road from Sarn Ford. (See Map 49.)
12. Weathertop
The Weather Hills rose up to nearly 1000 feet and ran north to south. Weathertop itself was the highest, and the dell in which they sheltered was on its west flank and only half an hour's climb from the top. (A Knife in the Dark; Bk 1.) The ruins on the top were those of Amon Sûl. (Council of Elrond; Bk 1; and The Northern Kingdom and the Dúnedain; Appendix A, Bk 3.)
There was a small stream in the dell which I have made drain south instead of into the marsh. I have no specific warrant for this but it seemed to me likely that there would be some tributaries flowing into the Hoarwell from the west as well as from the east, and that if so they would rise either on Weathertop or on the South Downs. Since one stream was actually mentioned as rising on Weathertop I have assumed that it was one of these.
13. Weathertop and the Trollshaws
Between Weathertop and the Hoarwell the travellers were making very slow progress because of Frodo’s wound – probably no more than 15-18 miles a day. When they reached the eastern side of the dry valley they were crossing (to avoid the northerly loop of the road here) they climbed a long low slope. (Flight to the Ford; Bk 1.) It must have ended up as a noticeable hill, because from the top they were able to see a long way. In fact they saw not only the Hoarwell but also, in the far distance, a second river, the Loudwater. This must have been much closer than it appears in the maps of Middle-earth which are included in the three books of The Lord of the Rings. I believe, in fact, that the Loudwater must have made a sharp westward turn before swinging south again to join the Hoarwell. As shown in the map the two would have been some 100 miles apart and the hill would have had to have been a high mountain for it to have been visible. Furthermore Aragorn says that the road runs along the Loudwater for many miles before the Ford. (Flight to the Ford; Bk 1.)
The area must have been wooded, as it is called not only the Ettenmoors but also the Trollshaws. The hills got higher and more difficult as the travellers penetrated them.
14. The Trollshaws
There must have been even more woods among the Trollshaws than I have drawn, but this one is described in the text. (Flight to the Ford; Bk 1.) The travellers climbed down the southern side of the ridge and soon found a path; they followed this through dark woods until it turned sharply left round the rocky shoulder of the hill and there they found a Troll-hole with a broken door.
The path turned to the right and went on into the woods again, and in a clearing they found the Stone Trolls. After lunch they went on for a few miles until they came out onto the road, and a short while later they were overtaken by Glorfindel.
15. To the Ford
The road had taken a northward swerve when the travellers joined it, and was clinging close to the hills. (Flight to the Ford; Bk 1.) I have assumed that this was to avoid a steepish hill and perhaps a thick wood to the south of the road between it and the river.
The stretch between the camp on the high ridge above the Troll-hole and the Ford took three days and was a long and difficult one. On the first day Glorfindel made them push on through the night and by the time they were allowed 5 hours rest they must have covered some 30 miles in all. The next day they covered almost 20 miles and slept at a point where the road turned right and started running down to the river. On the third day they went downhill and passed through a deep cutting with tall pine trees before the road ran out for 'a long flat mile' to the Ford. In all they must have done over 70 miles in the three days. (Flight to the Ford; Bk 1.)
16. Rivendell
The map of Rivendell is based on the three drawings made of it by Tolkien. The road winds up from the Ford and then down again on the south side of the ravine. The cliffs were extremely steep and the gorge narrow to the west of the house but the valley opened out as it went east. The house itself lay on the further side of the stream and was reached by a bridge. There were trees at the top of the cliffs as well as in the valley itself.
The path I have marked running east up the valley from Rivendell is the route taken by Bilbo and the Dwarves on their way to the High Pass.
Frodo and the Companions took the road almost back to the Ford before turning south across rough country. (Flight to the Ford; Bk 1; The Ring Goes South; Bk 1.)
17. The Misty Mountains
There must once have been some sort of path leading south from Rivendell along the foothills of the Misty Mountains at least as far as Eregion, since Elves dwelt there too. (The Ring Goes South; Bk 1.) Possibly it went on to join the Old North Road between Tharbad and the Gap of Rohan. (See Map 49.) The travellers came up this way on their road home from Minas Tirith when their adventures were over.
On their outward way, however, the Companions avoided this path, so as to keep out of sight. (The Ring Goes South; Bk 1.) It took them a fortnight to travel between Rivendell and Eregion – a distance of 135 miles as the crow flies – giving an average of less than 10 miles progress a day, or rather night, as they walked mainly in the late evenings. They were covering broken country in the dark, and the pony, Bill, might well have slowed them up on the steep bits, although he was useful as a load-carrier.
The mountains bent westwards as they went; more so, in my opinion, than appears in the maps of Middle-earth, especially south of the Redhorn Pass. Frodo said that they then seemed to 'stand across the path' that the Companions were taking. (The Ring Goes South; Bk 1.)
I have assumed the existence of a stream running through Eregion to join the Sirannon before it flowed on down to the Hoarwell. In the old days Eregion was a fruitful land, so I imagine there must have been water there.
The travellers struck the old path running up over Redhorn Pass and down into Dimrill Dale. This path presumably branched off the path going up the Sirannon to Moria Gate.
The three peaks here, Caradhras, Celebdil and Fanuidhol (which is just off this map to the south-west, but is shown on Map 49), were the highest in the range and there were no other passes south of this until the Gap of Rohan. (The Ring Goes South; Bk 1.)
18. Redhorn Gate Pass and Moria
The Redhorn Gate Pass was to the south of Caradhras and the cliff wall beneath which they passed was to their left, with a deep ravine on their right. (The Ring Goes South; Bk 1.) When they turned back, Gandalf led them south, not along the path by which they had come. (A Journey in the Dark; Bk 1.)
When they camped for the night (and were attacked by wolves) he told the Companions that the Moria Gate was 15 miles south-west of Caradhras as the crow flies. The next morning they set off to find the old Dwarf path and finally came upon the dried-up course of the Sirannon. They went on up a deep trough in a narrow valley closed at the end by a towering cliff face that was part of the peak Celebdil. (A Journey in the Dark; Bk 1.) It is shown in the drawing of Moria Gate by Tolkien. The bed of the river was not above the tree line as there were holly trees on the shore of the lake, but it must have been higher than the Great Gates on the other side of the caves, in Dimrill Dale, because of the many flights of stairs within the mountain.
This day was a very long one. Gandalf told them that the whole distance beneath the mountain was 40 miles. On their second day in the passages they covered 15 miles direct, or 20 as the road wound, which brought them nearly to the other side. On the first day (or rather night), therefore, they must have covered nearly 20 miles after passing Durin’s Door and this after a good 9 or 10 miles from their overnight camp. Clearly under pressure of extreme danger the Hobbits could manage more than their normal maximum of 24 miles.
It is difficult not to be confusing when one is plotting both caves and the mountains under which they lie. The contour lines here represent the outer surface.
19. Moria East Gate and Mirrormere
They slept in the Twenty-first Hall, which must have been high enough up to be very near the surface, as they could see daylight through a shaft. They were above and to the north of the Great Gates. (A Journey in the Dark; Bk 1.) They went north from here and found the Chamber of Mazarbul – Balin’s Tomb – on their right. After their battle with the Ores here they escaped through the other door and down many flights of stairs covering about a mile in horizontal distance. (The Bridge of Khazad-dûm; Bk 1.)
This led them to the Second Hall, which they entered east of the fiery chasm which had split the floor of the hall. The narrow bridge from which Gandalf fell led from this Hall to a broad stair, along a wide road, through the First Hall to the Great Gates – about a quarter of a mile in all. (The Bridge of Khazad-dûm; Bk 1.) Again there are difficulties when one is plotting both caves and the mountains under which they lie.
After Gandalf fell the others fled this way and finally came through the broken doors and the Great Gates to the open air. There is a picture of the path below the Gates. At some stage down the mountain side the path from the Gates must have joined Dimrill Stair winding down from the Redhorn Pass. The picture shows the path as it crosses the river Dimrill towards the east, and it must, therefore, presumably have run past Durin’s Stone down the east side of Mirrormere. (Lothlórien; Bk 1.)
20. East Gate, Dimrill Dale and Nimrodel
After passing the end of the lake they came to the deep well which was the source of the Silverlode, and the path now ran down the right bank of the river. They rested where another stream joined the young river in a dell of fir trees still 'only a few miles' from the Gates, and went on for another three hours – say a further 10 miles – till they came to the Golden Wood. They were now 15 miles from the Gates. After another mile they came to the junction of the Nimrodel, waded across it and went up it, past the falls, till they found some trees where they proposed to sleep and were surprised by the elves.
Incidentally this was another day when the Hobbits managed to get two suppers. (Lothlórien; Bk 1.)
21. Lórien
Trees bordered the Anduin on both sides of the point where the Silverlode (also known as the Celebrant, literally silver-course) flowed into it. Mallorn trees grew on both sides of the Silverlode but there were none on the east side of the Anduin. (Farewell to Lórien; Bk 1.)
The old road from Moria ran along the right bank of the Silverlode. Dol Guldur, Sauron’s fortress before he moved to Barad-dûr, was just across the Anduin and the old road must have led there. Dol Guldur was visible – or nearly so – from Cerin Amroth, which was on a hill. (Lothlórien; Bk 1.)
Right at the tip of the Naith, where the two rivers joined, was the green lawn of the Tongue, and a little distance up the Silverlode from there was the hythe where the boats were moored. (Farewell to Lórien; Bk 1.)
22. Anduin and Limlight
The Anduin ran through a steep valley above Lothlórien, which widened out further north where the River Gladden ran into it through great marshes. Here Isildur fell and lost the Ring. (The Shadow of the Past; Bk 1; The Disaster of the Gladden Fields; Unfinished Tales.)
Dol Guldur was set on Amon Lanc (Naked Hill), so called because there were no trees on the summit. It was the highest point of this part of Mirkwood. (The Disaster of the Gladden Fields; Unfinished Tales.)
Bare trees lined both banks of the Great River downstream of the Silverlode. (It was February.) The travellers slept among the trees for the first two nights. On the third day the trees thinned out and vanished and they were able to see that on the left bank were the wastes of the Brown Lands and on the right wide plains of grass and forests of reeds.
Just before the point where the river Limlight joined the Anduin, Aragorn told them that they were then about 180 miles south of the Southfarthing – say some 240 miles south of Hobbiton. The Limlight rose in Fangorn and was the northern frontier of Rohan.
On the fourth night they camped on an eyot near to the west bank, and Gollum was seen. (The Great River; Bk 1.)
23. Anduin and Rohan
After Gollum appeared Aragorn decided that they would have to go faster and they paddled instead of floating with the current. Also they took to travelling by night.
By the eighth night the banks were getting higher and rockier, but Aragorn miscalculated and thought they still had many miles to go before they reached the Rapids of Sarn Gebir. Around midnight, however, they realised that they were entering them. (The Great River; Bk 1.)
24. Sarn Gebir and Argonath
When the travellers realised that they were in the Rapids, they turned the boats and began to fight their way upstream. The river carried them nearer and nearer to the east bank where they were attacked by Orcs. Finally they managed to get over to the west bank and then upstream a short way until they found a shallow bay where they moored for the rest of the night. (The Great River; Bk 1.)
Next morning they found the Portage Way and carried the boats down it. The Rapids were not much more than a mile long, but they had to make two trips and the task was exhausting and they got no further than the foot of the Rapids that day.
That night they moored in a pool and next day sped along the narrow ravine through the hills of Emyn Muil, finally bending west before they passed through the Gates of Argonath between the Pillars of the Kings and so out into the open lake. There were trees above the steep grey slopes of the hills. (The Great River; Bk 1.)
25. Parth Galen
There were three peaks at the south end of the lake, Nen Hithoel, of which Amon Hen was the westernmost, Amon Lhaw the easternmost and the island of Tol Brandir the central one.
Tol Brandir rose steeply to a shelf crowned with trees before rising again to a central peak. The travellers passed to the west of it and landed by a little stream in the lawn of Parth Galen. (The Breaking of the Fellowship; Bk 1.)
The path called the North Stair led down from the lake to the foot of the Falls of Rauros, and had been used for portage in the old days. (The Great River; Bk 1.)
When Frodo sat on the top of Amon Hen (The Mount of Seeing) and put on the Ring, he could see a vast circle reaching from Isengard to Barad-dûr and from the Misty Mountains down to the delta of the Anduin – a radius of a good 300 miles.
As there was so much separate activity over the same ground in this area I have tried to label each track with the name of its maker. The map shows the route by which Frodo and Sam left the others, the course of Boromir’s funeral boat, and the various ways taken by the companions when the Orcs seized Merry and Pippin. (The Breaking of the Fellowship; Bk 1.)
26. Eastemnet and Nen Hithoel
The two ridges on the western side of Emyn Muil ran roughly north-south and were steeper on their western sides. (The Riders of Rohan; Bk 2.) Owing to the lie of these ridges I assume that the stream Aragorn came upon after finding the bodies of the Orcs in the hills would have drained into the other stream they passed, which ran down the ravine of the East Wall of Rohan, and we are told that that ran into the Entwash.
The East Wall was a steep ridge on the west side of the Emyn Muil. It rose some 120 feet from a wide and rugged shelf above the plains of the Rohirrim. From the top Legolas saw a great company on foot – clearly the Orcs who had captured Merry and Pippin – some 36 miles ahead.
They scrambled down a deep cleft with a stream in it and ran on across the plain for 36 miles before resting. (The Riders of Rohan; Bk 2.)
27. The Vale of Entwash
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli covered 45 leagues in all (135 miles) in their great four-day run, travelling north-west. The last part of this, the downs, stretched for 24 miles Aragorn said, and from the northernmost hill it was 45 miles north-west to the point where the Entwash emerged from the forest of Fangorn. (The Riders of Rohan; Bk 2.) A few pages later in The Two Towers, however, it says that from the hill they could see the forest only 30 miles away. There was probably a spur of woods sticking out a little east and south of the river which was nearer than the point where the river emerged.
The marshy land between the downs and the Entwash was about 10 miles wide. The path taken by the Rohirrim led up this east bank of the river after crossing it lower down at the Entwade, because the land to the west of the river was even more marshy. (The Riders of Rohan; Bk 2; The White Rider; Bk 2.)
Deeping Stream must eventually have run into the Entwash.
At the point where the Entwash emerged from Fangorn, Legolas noted that they were almost due west of the point they had reached on the second or third day on the Great River when Aragorn had told them that they were some 180 miles south of the Southfarthing. (The White Rider; Bk 2.)
The stone stair Merry and Pippin climbed (and later also the others) was only 3 or 4 miles from the edge of the forest. (Treebeard; Bk 2.)
The route taken by Merry, Pippin and Treebeard is shown on Map 28, that by Gandalf and his companions on Map 29.
28. Methedras and Fangorn
Wellinghall was a long way up the river, nearly at its source. (Treebeard; Bk 2.) Treebeard said he had brought the Hobbits 70,000 Entstrides, but the length of an Entstride is not given. Sam's cousin Hal reported that he had seen an Ent in the Shire, and claimed that his stride was 21 feet long. (A Shadow of the Past; Bk 1.) This would make the distance from the rock stair to Wellinghall nearly 270 miles, so I expect Hal was exaggerating. If Treebeard was 14 ft tall his stride (by comparison with a 3 ft stride for a 6 ft man) was probably something of the order of 6-7 ft. At this rate the distance would be about 80 miles. They probably started from the stair about 10 a.m. and reached Wellinghall at dusk, say 8 hours at 10 miles an hour.
The forest of Fangorn skirted the slopes of Methedras, which was the last peak of the Misty Mountains. (Treebeard; Bk 2.) According to the Book map it was due north of Nan Curunír, the Wizard’s Vale.
Leaving Wellinghall the next morning, Treebeard went south and then east into the forest to Derndingle. The Ents left Derndingle in the afternoon going southward down a long fold of the foothills and up onto the high western ridge – high enough to be just above the treeline. They reached the crest after dark and went on down a long ravine into the upper part of the valley. (Treebeard; Flotsam and Jetsam; Bk 2.)
29. Edoras
The first part of the ride of Gandalf and his companions to Edoras can be seen on Map 27. Shadowfax waded the river and took them due south, through fen and hollow, by a route known only to himself. (The White Rider; Bk 2.)
I make the distance to Edoras nearly 130 miles, which they covered in less than 24 hours. Even allowing for rests, this was a remarkable equine feat and the other horses must have been inspired by Shadowfax.
Edoras was at the point where the Snowbourn emerged from the mountains and turned east to join the Entwash. Four roads met there: the Great West Road to Minas Tirith, the path Éomer and his Riders had taken to the Entwade, the road to the Fords of Isen, and the road south up the valley to Dunharrow. (The King of the Golden Hall; Bk 2.)
When Gandalf and the others set off again with Théoden and his men, they took the road leading north-west along the foothills of the White Mountains. It was more than 40 leagues (120 miles) direct, or say 135 miles by the road. It crossed many swift streams, of which I have plotted two, which, together with Deeping Stream, must have run into the Entwash and helped to fill the marshes along its banks. (Helm’s Deep; Bk 2.)
30. Nan Curunír and Deeping-coomb
Nan Curunír, the valley where Isengard was built, is spelt with a G in the Book map, but I have followed the text and spelt it with a C. (Treebeard; The Road to Isengard; Bk 2.)
It was 15 miles from the mouth of Deeping-coomb to the Fords. The road from Edoras approached from the south-east, turning straight west for the last 2 miles before running down a long sloping bank to the river. (The Battles of the Fords of Isen; Unfinished Tales.) After crossing the Fords they went east and north to the mouth of the Vale for about 14 miles and camped by the river. They were then some 16 miles from Isengard. (The Road to Isengard; Bk 2.) In the Battles of the Fords of Isen (Unfinished Tales) it is said that from the point where the road to Hornburg branched off, it was 90 miles in a straight line to Isengard, but I find that impossible to reconcile with the clear directions given in The Lord of the Rings, and noted above. They reached Isengard on 5th March.
The ruined road which I have drawn running west from the Fords led northwards to Tharbad, and in the old days it was the main north-south road. There must also have been some sort of a path, probably on the east side of the Isen, leading to the stronghold on the Adorn, which had been built in the old days by Helm Hammerhand. (The House of Eorl; Appendix A, Bk 3; see also Map 49.)
There was probably no real road leading south on the west side of the Isen, but it was possible to reach Gondor by going down to the sea and turning east. When they failed to cross Redhorn Pass the Companions considered and rejected the idea of travelling this way. (A Journey in the Dark; Bk 1.)
This map also shows the beginning of Gandalf and Pippin’s ride to Minas Tirith. They left Isengard on 5th March. The whole course of the ride is shown on Map 33. The route of the ride to Helm’s Deep, which preceded the Battle (Map 31), is also given.
31. Helm’s Deep
The Riders turned south along Deeping Stream some 15 miles short of the Fords of Isen.
I have followed Tolkien’s picture of Helm's Deep. I have drawn the Hornburg in a loop of the stream, on a heel of rock sticking out from the northern cliff at the mouth of the deep ravine, where the Glittering Caves of Aglarond were. The Wall curved round the fortress and the road came in by a long ramp over the stream. Some quarter of a mile further out was the mile long dike and rampart. (Helm’s Deep; Bk 2.) Death Down, where the fallen Orcs were buried, was a mile from the dike. (The Road to Isengard; Bk 2.)
The path shown leading south and up into the hills was the road taken by Théoden and his Riders, with Merry, (after leaving Isengard, Map 30) to summon the mountain men to the Muster of Rohan at Dunharrow. (The Passing of the Grey Company; The Muster of Rohan; Bk 3.) See Map 41.
32. Isengard
There was only one entrance to the ring wall of stone round Orthanc. This was in the south. I have marked where the lake used to be, though it had presumably dried out by the time the travellers reached it. (The Road to Isengard; Bk 2.) The White Hand is off the map not far to the south.
Orthanc was made of four joined pillars of rock (there is a Tolkien drawing of it) and was 500 ft high.
When the Companions were reunited Gimli said that he had been chasing the Hobbits for 200 leagues (600 miles), but I think he was indulging in a little pardonable exaggeration, as I cannot make it more than about 500 miles. (The Road to Isengard; Bk 2.)
I have shown the gorge and the bridge where the Orcs crossed, and the main Ent dam of the Isen. (Flotsam and Jetsam; Bk 2.) Merry and Pippin came in from the north down the long ravine on the slopes of Mount Methedras. (See Map 28.)
33. Fords of Isen to Minas Tirith
This map shows the whole course of the ride of Gandalf and Pippin on Shadowfax from the Fords of Isen to Minas Tirith, passing Helm's Deep, Edoras, and the seven great beacons, Halifirien, Calenhad, Min-Rimmon, Erelas, Nardol, Eilenach and Amon Dîn. (See also Map 30.) The overall distance was around 440 miles; some 135 from the Fords to Edoras and 306 from Edoras to Minas Tirith. (Helm’s Deep; Bk 2; The Muster of Rohan; Bk 3.) Gandalf and Pippin covered the whole of this in four days, whereas the Riders of Rohan took four days and a night to cover only the 306 miles from Edoras to Minas Tirith. But then Shadowfax was unique.
This map also shows the relationship between the point where the Entwash flows out of Fangorn and the junction of the Limlight and the Anduin, on roughly the same level. (The White Rider; Bk 2.)
As they started Gandalf told Pippin that it was 600 miles, as the Nazgûl flies, from Barad-dûr to Orthanc. (The Palantír; Bk 2.) If one adds together all the various distances mentioned between the two points this seems reasonable enough -30 miles from Isengard to the Fords, 440 miles from the Fords to Minas Tirith (see above), 60 miles from Minas Tirith to the Ephel Dúath (Minas Tirith; Bk 3), perhaps 30 miles through the mountains to the Morgai ridge, 40 miles from the Morgai to Orodruin (The Land of Shadow; Bk 3) and, as I estimate, some 10 miles from Orodruin to Barad-dûr (see notes on Map 48), making a total of some 610 miles. I make it, however, around 100 miles less in a straight line. (See Frontispiece map.) Perhaps Nazgûls did not fly in a straight line. Anyway Gandalf had presumably never actually flown the whole distance himself and must have been guessing.
Gandalf and Pippin’s arrival at Minas Tirith is charted on Map 39.
34. The Cliffs of Emyn Muil
This is a detailed map of the cliff in the eastern Emyn Muil down which Frodo and Sam climbed, and where they were joined by Gollum. It also shows the ravine down which Gollum guided them to the marshes.
This stretch is rather hard to follow, or at least I found it so, and I hope this map will help readers to envisage the route more clearly.
The route across the Emyn Muil is shown in the following map.
35. Emyn Muil and Nindalf
This map shows Frodo and Sam’s route after they landed under Amon Lhaw from the lawn of Parth Galen. They made their way east along the southern cliffs of Emyn Muil, trying to find a way down, and were finally forced north until they were stopped by the precipice shown in the preceding map. (The Breaking of the Fellowship; Bk 1; The Taming of Sméagol; Bk 2.)
When Gollum had led them down the ravine he persuaded them to take his secret route through the marshes, and this was probably quicker (though more disagreeable) than going round to the north, although the marshes did not stretch very far that way. (The Passage of the Marshes; Bk 2.) I have shown the Mere in the Dead Marshes and also two streams running out of Emyn Muil further west, which are not specifically mentioned, to help account for the marsh.
36. The Gate of Mordor
One road went north from Morannon – presumably to Dol Guldur – and one east for fifty miles along the foothills of Ered Lithui to a point north of Barad-dûr. It had never been finished and stopped there. (Cirion and Eorl, Note 15; Unfinished Tales.) The third skirted the northern foothills of Ephel Dúath to the west and then ran straight south to the Crossroads in the vale of Morgulduin. (The Black Gate is Closed; Bk 2.)
During this part of the journey Frodo, Sam and Gollum travelled by night and slept by day. They rested on the low hill shown in the centre of the map and thence crept down into the trench-like valley between it and the foothills of the mountains, not taking to the road itself until they were round the corner and out of sight of Morannon. (The Black Gate is Closed; Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit; Bk 2.)
The map also shows Durthang and the roads leading from it, one to the southern gate of the Udûn and the other south, past the Orc camps to the Pass of Cirith Ungol. (The Land of Shadow; Bk 3.)
Gollum said that it was 100 leagues (300 miles) from where they hid to the sea. I make it a little less south-west to the mouths of the Anduin, but somewhat more if travelling due south. Gollum admitted that he had never done the journey himself. (The Black Gate is Closed; Bk 2.)
37. Ithilien and the Vale of Morgul
The trees growing along the slopes and bluffs of North Ithilien were mostly resinous: fir, cedar and cypress. (Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit; Bk 2.) The travellers were now some 500 miles south of Hobbiton, about as far as Provence is from southern England, and the climate was distinctly warmer. The Vale of Anduin here was apparently more or less on two levels: the higher, which was heavily wooded and along which the road ran, and the lower fields by the river, which were less heavily wooded and very fertile, until devastated by Sauron. (The Council of Elrond; Bk 1; Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit; Bk 2.)
It was about 100 miles from Morannon to the Crossroads. On their second day going south, after passing through a deep cutting, they turned right, off the road, and came to a small lake. Henneth Annûn, to which Faramir led them, was about 10 miles away and some 30 miles from the east bank of Anduin. It was also some 75 miles from Minas Tirith. (Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit; The Window on the West; Bk 2; The Siege of Gondor; Bk 3.)
After leaving Henneth Annûn the Hobbits followed the sheer edge of the bluff south until the forest thinned out and they looked down into the Vale of Morgulduin. (Journey to the Crossroads; Bk 2.) Thence they turned back into the forest, then east to a hogsback and finally south to the Crossroads itself.
Going east up the Morgul valley they turned left just opposite the bridge to Minas Morgul, and climbed first the Straight Stair and then the Winding Stair up to the tunnel and Cirith Ungol. (The Stairs of Cirith Ungol; Bk 2.)
38. Shelob’s Lair and Cirith Ungol
This detailed map is based on the Tolkien drawing of Cirith Ungol and the Pass.
The road in the main pass from Minas Morgul led up the south side of the river and finally wound left to meet the road from Cirith Ungol before descending to the bridge over the trough. Shelob’s Lair was to the left of the tunnel through which Gollum led them, and there was also a side tunnel leading to the left, to the cellars of the fortress. The 'Horns' were peaks on either side of the path where it emerged from the tunnel.
I have probably made the bridge too long, but it was necessary to show clearly how it related to the trough between the Ephel Dúath and the Morgai ridge. (The Stairs of Cirith Ungol; The Choices of Master Samwise; Bk 2; The Land of Shadow; Bk 3.) The Dark Pass was higher than Orodruin, which was 4500 ft above the plain, which in turn I estimate to have been about 500 feet above sea level. The Passes must, therefore, have been over 5000 feet up.
The route continues on Map 47.
39. Pelennor
There were streams and homesteads within the wall of Rammas Echor. This ran from the mountains back to the mountains for 30 miles. At its furthest point, to the north-east, the wall was twelve miles from the City Gate, while at its shortest, to the south-east, it was little more than three miles. (Minas Tirith; Bk 3.)
There had once been bridges at Osgiliath, but these had all been destroyed, and now there were only boat bridges and fords. (The Council of Elrond; Bk 1; The Black Gate Opens; Bk 3.) The road from the city to Osgiliath led through a gate guarded by two towers and a walled causeway to the ruins. South-east of the City Gate were the quays and landings of Harlond. (Minas Tirith; Bk 3.) In my opinion these must have been outside the Rammas Echor. The Outwall rose from the very brink of the river along the south-east stretch where the quays lay 'beneath the wall'. (Minas Tirith; Bk 3.) It is arguable that the harbour lay within the wall but this seems improbable to me for strategic reasons, as it would have meant that there was a break in the defensive line of the wall.
The southern road from Pelargir wound sharply round the slopes of Mount Mindolluin and entered the Rammas Echor by a gate only a mile or two from the City itself – presumably the same gate that gave access to the port.
Gandalf and Pippin arrived on 9th March. The beginning of their ride is shown in Map 30 and the whole course of the route is detailed in Map 33.
40. Minas Tirith
There is a very full and detailed description of the layout of Minas Tirith (Minas Tirith; Bk 3) which I have tried to follow. There is also a picture of the Citadel which shows the road running up out of the tunnel in the 'prow' and into the tunnel leading from the sixth level to the Citadel. This is shown as being a little north-east, as the 'prow' itself is due east.
The road swung across from north to south round the east side of the city, passing through the prow-like spur in a tunnel at each level. It must have joined the square in front of the Gate from the south.
The Tombs of the Kings were in the dip between the main mountain wall and the high spur on which the City itself was built and the path to it wound down from the fifth level. On the sixth level were the stables (Minas Tirith; Bk 3) and by the south wall of this level were the Houses of Healing. (The Pyre of Denethor; Bk 3.) The Old Guesthouse, which had two wings running back from the street, was in the Lampwrights’ Street, on the lowest level, running straight to the City Gate.
The tower of the Citadel itself, which, following the picture of the Citadel, I have shown on the north side of the seventh circle, rose 700 ft above the City Gate.
41. Dunharrow
The map of Dunharrow is based on the drawing by Tolkien as well as on the text. Harrowdale was about half a mile wide where the road from the hills to the west, the road to Dunharrow and the road to Edoras met. The Muster took place here, at a place where the Snowbourn ran close to the western hills.
Two villages are mentioned as lying between Edoras and Dunharrow: Underharrow and Upbourn. Only Underharrow appears on the map. (The Muster of Rohan; Bk 3.)
The Dwimorberg, beneath which Dunharrow and the Dimholt Gate were situated, was south of the mountain Írensaga and north of the Starkhorn. (The Muster of Rohan; Bk 3; see also Map 42.)
The road to the Hold on Firienfeld led up some hundreds of feet to a shelf in the eastern cliffs, winding steeply with a stone 'Púkel-man' at each turn. At the top the road to the Dark Door was lined by standing stones. The camp was mostly to the right of the road and the Gate itself was hidden among dark trees, though they do not appear in the picture. (The Passing of the Grey Company; The Muster of Rohan; Bk 3.)
42. The Ride of the Rohirrim
The Ride of the Rohirrim started at Edoras and went down the Great West Road, along the same route followed less than a week earlier by Gandalf and Pippin. The first camp of the Riders was in the willow thickets where the Snowbourn joined the Entwash, 36 miles east of Edoras. (The Muster of Rohan; Bk 3.) They camped twice more, once probably in Firien Wood, and once more, possibly under Min-Rimmon, before reaching the bivouac in the pinewoods of Drúadan Forest. Mering Stream, which ran out of Firien Wood and down to the Entwash, was the eastern border of Rohan, and was fortified. (Cirion and Eorl; Unfinished Tales.)
Three of the beacons, Halifirien, Calenhad and Min-Rimmon, are shown on this map. Halifirien was the highest and was a sacred place, known as the Holy Mountain and the Hill of Awe. It was reached by a secret path through the wood and a rock stair. (Cirion and Eorl; Unfinished Tales.)
43. Drúadan Forest
The four easterly beacons are shown on this map: Erelas, Nardol, Eilenach and Amon Dîn, from which the Citadel of Minas Tirith could be seen.
On the fourth night of the Ride, the Riders bivouacked among the pinewoods under Eilenach, and here they met the Woses. They were now less than a day’s ride (which judging by their progress to date would have been between 60 and 70 miles) from Minas Tirith.
Stonewain Valley ran south of Eilenach, between thickly wooded ridges, joining the road again south of Amon Dîn. Orcs were camped 3 miles west of Amon Dîn and were pushing west along the road. When the Riders came out onto the road again they were some 21 miles from the Rammas Echor, the Wall of the Townland. (The Ride of the Rohirrim; Bk 3.)
The Forest of Druadan and the Greywood, under Amon Dîn, were given to the people of Ghân-buri-Ghân in gratitude for their help against Sauron. (Many Partings; Bk 3.)
44. The Battle of Pelennor Fields
As King Théoden drew near to the Gate of the City he turned aside to attack the Southrons, and was sweeping them back when the Ringwraith flew down and settled on his horse, Snowmane. There the King was killed, and in his turn the Ringwraith fell, immune from attack by living man, but slain by a woman and a Hobbit.
The Rohirrim charged forward to avenge Théoden, and were supported by a great sally from the beleaguered City. The footmen drove south while the horsemen under Hurin, Hirluin and Prince Imrahil raced eastwards to support the Rohirrim who had been outnumbered and scattered by the Haradrim and their 'Mûmakil'.
Gothmog, the Ringwraith’s successor, threw reinforcements from Osgiliath into the battle, Easterlings and Variags, and things were going badly until at the last moment Aragorn and his ships reached Harlond and attacked the enemy from the flank and rear. (The Battle of Pelennor Fields; Bk 3.)
45. Aragorn and the Grey Company
Aragorn passed through the Dark Door and into the caves under the Haunted Mountain before dawn on 8th March, and came out into a ravine, where the river Morthond ran beside the path, two hours before sunset (some ten hours). The distance was not great – probably not more than about 25 miles – but the Riders must have gone very slowly in the dark and with many delays and interruptions. When they emerged from the caves they were in the uplands of a great vale and still had a long way to go to Erech, but they could now travel faster and reached the Stone – perhaps another 40 miles – just before midnight. (The Passing of the Grey Company; Bk 3.)
From Erech to Pelargir was 93 leagues (279 miles). The road passed Tarlang’s Neck into Lamedon. This may have been a ridge; there was certainly a ridge of hills stretching south-west from the main range at this point, according to the Map of Gondor in The Return of the King, but to my mind it seems more likely that the Neck was a long narrow gully among the hills through which the road ran. (The Passing of the Grey Company; Bk 3.)
From there they went on to Calembel, a township on the Ciril, and thence to Ethring where they crossed the Ringló, and on the third day to Linhir, which was above the mouth of the Gilrain. It must have been some way up the river, as Legolas never in fact actually saw the sea, though he heard the gulls crying. (The Last Debate; Bk 3.)
There was a battle there between the men of Lamedon and those of Umbar and Harad before the Riders arrived, but both contestants fled on seeing the Grey Company. After crossing the fords, Aragorn’s followers chased their enemies for a night and a day before reaching Pelargir where there was another great battle.
From Pelargir up the river to Harlond was 42 leagues (126 miles). On the first half of the journey they had to row, until the wind changed (as King Ghân of the Woses had sensed in Drúadan Forest) and they were able to sail up the last stretch in time to take part in the Battle of Pelennor Fields. (The Last Debate; Bk 3.)
46. The Battle of Morannon
The Army of the West marched along the Causeway to Osgiliath and on for 5 miles to their first camp. The next day Gandalf and Aragorn rode as far as the bridge leading to Minas Morgul, which they destroyed. That night they camped close to the Crossroads. (The Black Gate Opens; Bk 3.)
They marched north and towards the end of the second day's march from the Crossroads they reached the cutting where Frodo and Sam had turned off the road and where the Battle with the Oliphaunt took place, and there fought off an ambush. On the fifth day after the Crossroads they made their last camp, after turning away from the road to approach Morannon from the north-west.
They drew up the army – now only 6000 strong – on two hills before the Black Gate. On one hill was Gandalf with the men of Minas Tirith, on the other the men of Rohan and those from the south. In the van were Aragorn and the Dúnedain, Prince Imrahil and the pick of the Tower Guard. (The Black Gate Opens; Bk 3.)
This map also shows the Field of Cormallen which was within earshot of the Falls at Henneth Annûn, and the route down to Cair Andros where the victors took ship and sailed down river to Osgiliath and so back to Minas Tirith. (The Field of Cormallen; Bk 3.)
47. Gorgoroth and Mount Doom
The Hobbits scrambled down into the trough (see also Map 38) and soon found the Orc path which wound down from Cirith Ungol. (See also Map 38.) The trough was probably a bit higher than the plain, say some 750 feet above sea level. At the point where the Hobbits climbed to the top of the Morgai and looked east, they were 1500 feet above the plain (i.e. some 2000 feet above sea level, I reckon.) They were then 40 miles from Orodruin and immediately above one of the Orc camps. The distance from the bridge to the junction of the road past the Orc camp and the road to Durthang was about 60 miles, and from that junction to Orodruin it was also 60 miles.
At Isenmouthe, which was some 20 miles east of there, the Hobbits slipped off the road and passed along the trench and earthwall which joined the spurs of Ephel Dúath and Ered Lithui, about a furlong south of the road. From here the mountain appeared to be about 50 miles away.
Three roads met there, the western road to Durthang, along which the Hobbits had come, the centre road which led south to join the road running up the eastern side of the Morgai, and the eastern road which wound south-east to Barad-dûr. (The Land of Shadow; Mount Doom; Bk 3.)
The Hobbits followed this eastern road for four days until the mountain was almost due south of them, and, as I reckon, about 15 miles away. By this time they were not doing more than about 10 miles a day, and on the final stretch, going south, they were moving even more slowly and it took them two days to reach the foot of the Mountain. (Mount Doom; Bk 3.)
48. Orodruin
On the last day they struggled up the steep slopes. The base of the cone that topped the Mountain was some 3000 ft above the plain and the cone another 1500 ft up – as I make it, about 5000 ft above sea level in all. It was lower (though not necessarily much lower) than the Pass through the Ephel Dúath through which they had come. (Mount Doom; Bk 3.)
Judging by the Tolkien sketch of the Mountain the diameter of the base was about the same as the height above the plain, i.e. about a mile.
It is not stated exactly how far Orodruin was from Barad-dûr, though the pinnacles and iron crown of the fortress were visible from the gate of the Sammath Naur. It was a league between the western end of the bridge leading from the fortress to the point where the causeway started running up to the eastern side of the Mountain. It is unlikely that the whole distance was more than 10 miles.
The Hobbits climbed up the north-western side of the Mountain until they hit on the road which circled it. This led up to the Sammath Naur one way, and down to the Barad-dûr causeway the other, with a road branching off it to the south-west leading to the Orc camps in the south. They entered the dark cave of the Sammath Naur, reached the chasm and finally found their way down again to the point where they were rescued by Gandalf and the eagles. (Mount Doom; The Field of Cormallen; Bk 3.)
49. The Journey Home
The slow return from Minas Tirith to Edoras with Théoden’s bier took 15 days. Thence they went to Helm’s Deep and on to Isengard, where they said farewell to Treebeard and parted from Legolas and Gimli. After this they passed through the Gap of Rohan and made their way north on the west side of the Misty Mountains. After passing Dunland they came upon Saruman and at last came to the place where the road branched off to the Redhorn Pass and Moria Gate. Here they camped for a week before saying farewell to Celeborn and Galadriel.
They went on north again to Rivendell and finally turned west to Bree and The Prancing Pony, on to the point where they had left Tom Bombadil on the outward journey, where Gandalf left them, and so to Brandywine Bridge and the Shire. (Many Partings; Bk 3.)
There is conflicting evidence on the overall distance involved. In Unfinished Tales (The Disaster of the Gladden Fields, Note 6) it says that from Osgiliath to Bree, via Tharbad, was 392 leagues (1176 miles) and from Bree to Rivendell 116 leagues (348 miles). The latter distance presents no problem, but it seems to me that the distance from Osgiliath to Bree is improbably long. If it is about 20 miles from Osgiliath to Minas Tirith and some 440 miles from Minas Tirith to the Fords of Isen (see Note to Map 33) that would make it over 700 miles from Isen to Bree, and I cannot reconcile this with the many other measurements provided.
Incidentally Boromir claimed to have travelled 1200 miles from Minas Tirith to Rivendell (Farewell to Lórien; Bk 1) but it is not at all clear which route he took. He must have gone through Tharbad as he lost his horse there, so it is possible that he took the road the whole way. He may, however, have gone up the Hoarwell to the Last Bridge, though without a horse he would have found it difficult to carry enough food, while if he had gone up the Bruinen he would have had to cross the wild fenlands of Swanfleet and the river Glanduin. (History of Galadriel and Celeborn; Appendix D, Unfinished Tales.)
50. The Shire and The Grey Havens
Many details of places mentioned in The Scouring of the Shire can be seen in Map 2, including South Lane and Farmer Cotton’s house, the Bywater inn and the avenue of trees which was cut down. Also Sandyman’s Mill on the Water and the Old Grange on the side of the Hill.
There is a slight problem here. It is clearly stated in the Scouring of the Shire; Bk 3, that Frogmorton was 22 miles from the Bridge and the Three Farthing Stone just under 14 miles west of Frogmorton and 4 miles east of Bywater. But both the Scouring of the Shire and the Prologue to Book 1 say that the Stone was 'as near the centre of the Shire as no matter', while the Shire is said in the Prologue to have stretched 50 leagues (150 miles) from Brandywine to Westmarch and nearly 50 leagues from north to south.
My reckoning also makes the Shire some 150 miles from east to west, but this being so, the Stone can only have been central in a north-south direction, unless the Hobbits’ 'No matter' was unusually elastic.
The last ride was leisurely – no doubt in view of Frodo’s health. (The Grey Havens; Bk 3.) It took them 7 days after they joined Bilbo and the Elves, passing south of the White Downs and the Far Downs, across the Tower Hills and so to Mithlond, the Grey Havens on the Firth of Lune.
The mountains in the south-west corner of the map were part of the Ered Luin (the Blue Mountains). These also stretched north, beyond the river Lune, and there the Dwarves, including Thorin Oakenshield, still lived and worked in the days of The Hobbit. Gimli, too, was probably born there.