Glittering Caves

The Glittering Caves of Aglarond by Ted Nasmith.

Also called Aglarond, the spectacular jewelled caverns that lay in the White Mountains behind Helm's Deep. They were discovered by Gimli Elf-friend during the War of the Ring, and were later colonised by the Dwarves of Erebor, with Gimli becoming Lord of the Glittering Caves.

The Glittering Caves is one of very few locations in Tolkien's work that we can associate with a real place. They were inspired by the caves of Cheddar Gorge, in the southern English county of Somerset.