Regions Of The Shire Farthings The Northfarthing The

The original parts of the shire were subdivided into four Farthings ("four-things" or "quarterings"):

1.1 The Northfarthing

The Northfarthing is the least populated part of the Shire. This was the site of the historic Battle of Greenfields.

1.2 The Westfarthing

The western and most populated part of the Shire, this is the site of the towns Michel Delving, Tuckborough (part of Took-land), and Hobbiton.

1.3 The Southfarthing

A rural and fertile area, the Southfarthing is the site of the towns Gamwich (original home of the Gamgee family), Cotton, Longbottom and much pipe-weedIn the fiction of J. Tolkien, Pipe-weed (also known as Halflings' Leaf is a tobacco developed by the Shire Hobbit's which became a major industry, especially in the south. Among the Dunedain it was known as sweet galenas and in Gondor it grew as a wild pl production.

1.4 The Eastfarthing

Bordering Buckland, site of the towns Frogmorton and Whitfurrows and the farms of the Marish. Originally the Eastfarthing was under the control of the Oldbuck family, and even after these became the Brandybucks the farmers of the Eastfarthing followed the Brandybucks rather than the ThainTolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Thain was the traditional miltary leader of the Hobbits of the Shire. The Hobbits first chose a Thain to rule them when Arvedui, last King of Arnor, died. The title (more commonly spelt "thane" in modern E and Mayor.

2 Other parts of the Shire

The Buckland and Westmarch, although still reckoned part of the Shire, are not part of any farthing.

2.1 Buckland

2.1.1 Location, villages and borders

Buckland is located east of the BaranduinIn the fiction of J. Tolkien, the Baranduin or Brandywine River is a river of Middle-earth. Flowing out of Nenuial ( Lake Evendim) in northern Eriador, the river flows eastward for about 60 miles before turning generally southward; after about another 120 (Brandywine) river. The hobbits living in Buckland grew the High Hay, a hedge, to protect themselves against evil from the nearby Old Forest, which borders Buckland to the east. Buckland is bordered in the north by the Hay Gate, the only entrance to Buckland near the Brandywine Bridge. In the south the borders of Buckland follow the High Hay until the Withywindle joins the Baranduin near the village of Haysend. The most important town of Buckland is Bucklebury where the Brandy Hall is located, home of the Master of Buckland, one of the important officials of the Shire.

An important landmark is the Bucklebury Ferry, a raft- ferry used as the second main crossing point of the Brandywine River from the Shire to Buckland, after the Brandywine Bridge (which is twenty miles further south). It is apparently left unmanned to be used by hobbit travellers as needed. En route to the new house at Crickhollow, Frodo Baggins and companions crossed using the Ferry just before the arrival of a Black Rider, who was forced to go around to the Brandywine Bridge as there were no boats kept on the western bank of the river. (In the film version by Peter Jackson, the encounter is more immediate.)

2.1.2 History and Culture

Buckland was settled around T.A. 2340 by Gorhenhad Oldbuck, the ancestor of Meriadoc Brandybuck. Gorhenhad Oldbuck thus became the first Master of Buckland. He renamed himself Brandybuck, which remained his family's name.

Because Buckland is east of the Baranduin it isn't part of the land given to the Hobbits by King Argeleb II of Arthedain. It was thus not part of the Shire proper until the beginning of the Fourth Age when King Elessar made Buckland and the Westmarch officially a part of the Shire.

The Bucklanders are unlike other hobbits as they are prepared for danger and are thus less naive than the Shire-hobbits. They close the Hay Gate and their own front doors at night and are prepared to rush to arms when the Horn of Buckland is blown. Most Bucklanders were originally of Stoor stock, and they were the only Hobbits known to use boats.

2.2 The Westmarch

After the events of the War of the Ring at the start of the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, King Aragorn Elessar granted the Hobbits of the Shire effective self-rule inside his Reunited Kingdom, banning any Men from entering the land.

He also granted the Shire a stretch of new land: this reached from the ancient western borders of the Shire, the White Downs, to the Tower Hills.

The area between the downs and the hills became known as the Westmarch.

The eldest daughter of mayor Samwise Gamgee, Elanor the Fair, married Fastred of Greenholm, and they moved to the Westmarch. After the passing of master Samwise, they and their children became known as the Fairbairns of the Towers or Wardens of Westmarch, and the Red Book of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins passed into their keeping, becoming known as the Red Book of Westmarch.

Governmentally the Westmarch was a region of itself, and like Buckland across the river Brandywine it was not part of any of the four Farthings of the Shire.

Middle-earth places

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1 Farthings