Shire

The Shire is a civilized place located in the old Kingdom of Arthedain. It is far from the great nations of the South, the nearest other place being Bree a few miles East. The Shire is divided into four main parts: the North, South, East and West Farthings. Located east of the Baranduin (Brandywine) is Buckland. Most Hobbits from the Farthings consider Bucklanders very queer, while Bucklanders think much the same of the others. Lying on the Eastern border of Buckland stretches the Old Forest; a place very few dare to enter.

The Shire was first inhabited in 1601 by a few adventurous Hobbits from Bree, and since then has become the main home of Hobbits. There are no other races living in the Shire, but occasionally one might see a Dwarf, or two, and sadly many Elves passing through the South Farthing on their way West, never to return.

Map

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Legend:                                                    )          ~    |
|                              A MAP OF THE SHIRE       ) )       )       ~   |
|     /=+                                                  ________  Dwaling  |
|    =/     The East Road                               ) / ) )))  X ~ ~ ~ ~  |
|    -+-    small paths and roads                    ))  / HILLS OF ) )    ~  |
|     ~~    rivers                                    __/ ) )SCARY )) )   ~   |
|  ]] or \\ bridges/fords                            /  \ ) )) ) )       ~    |
|     ))    hills                            Brokenbores x----X-+  ) ))  ~    |
|     ((    downs               RUSHOCK              \     Scary| ) )  RIVER  |
|      X    villages              BOG                /          |   BRANDYWINE|
|     **    woodland                ~%%%      Over-  \          |        ~    |
|      3    Three-Farthings       % %%%~~    X hill   \    THE  Bridge-  ~    |
|           Stone                  %__%% ~ ~ |        |   WATER  \fields ~    |
|    (                                \__   ~\\~ ~Bywater  ~ ~ ~//~ ~ ~ ~ boat|
| ((                       Border \  Hobbiton-X--X ~ ~\\~ ~    x|      ~  capt|
|(( (  (         (            Road \        //=+=3=====+==X=====+===+=]]==+===|
| ((            (WHITE              \_     =/    |       Frogmorton |  ~ / -->|
|((  FAR      (( DOWNS                \   //     |                  /  to Bree|
| ((DOWNS      ( ((            Waymeet X==/      |           __Stock ~ X  *   |
|((  (          (  (     PLAINS    /==/          |          /     X ~  Newbury|
|(             Michel |       /====/  \    **       *     */     ~/~  / * * * |
|  to the      Delving|   /===/       |* ** ** * ** ** ** **   ~ / ~Bucklebury|
|Grey Havens    ( /===X===/           |X* * X * **** *** ** X ~ | ~ X * * ** *|
|   <--      /====/ ((|   |    Tookbank Tuckborough Woodhall ~  | ~ |  OLD * *|
|==\    /====/      ((|   |          /       ** ** * ** *** ~% %| ~ | FOREST  |
|  \=+==/         (   |   |  PLAINS     * **** * *** *** Rushey X ~ |  * ** * |
| (  X          (  Trail              ***  WOODY END  ** ~ % % /  ~ X *** **  |
|( ( Greenholm    to Sarn              * * * Forest ** *  THE /  ~ / Standelf |
| (    (        (  Ford\                 *  * ** * * *  MARISH   ~   ** * *   |
|( (( (          ((     \                 *  ** ** *   %% %% %  ~   * ** *    |
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