East Road

2012-07-09T15:56:38Z

86.131.187.186:

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[[Image:Matej Cadil - Great East Road.jpg|thumb|''Great East Road'' by [[Matěj Čadil]]]]
The '''East Road''' was a road which ran through [[the Shire]].

The Great East Road was originally laid by the [[Dwarves]] probably during the [[First Age]]{{fact}}, and ran from the [[Iron Hills]] through [[Rhovanion (region)|Rhovanion]] to [[Khazad-dûm]], from which it continued across [[Eriador]] to the [[Blue Mountains]], and then on into Kingdom of [[Doriath]] in [[Beleriand]].

The western parts were built to facilitate the passage of companies of Dwarf craftsmen (and later, their armed escort) across eastern Beleriand, before the [[sack of Doriath]] by the dwarfs of [[Nogrod]] ended their trade.

After the First Age of Sun, and the ruination of [[Nogrod]] and neighbouring [[Belegost]], focus shifted to the eastern part of the ancient road, which had been built by the dwarves of Khazad-dûm in the [[Misty Mountains]]. Khazad-dûm's inhabitants, the [[Longbeards|Longbeard]] Dwarves, continued to grow in power and influence, and their trading needs meant that the road from the Iron Hills that travelled through [[Mirkwood]] to their gates became widely known. On the western side of the Misty Mountains, after traversing the [[High Pass]], the road continued to the Blue Mountains, and this part ultimately became known as the ''[[Men-i-Naugrim]]'' or "Old Dwarf Road".

When the [[Númenóreans|Númenórean]] realm-in-exile of [[Arnor]] was founded, the Arnorians took over the maintenance of the ''Men-i-Naugrim'', and built several fortresses on or near it (including [[Weathertop]]), and expanded or created bridges over the rivers [[Brandywine]] and [[Hoarwell]]. After Arnor was divided in [[Third Age]] 861, the Great East Road formed the boundary between two of its successor states, [[Cardolan]] and [[Rhudaur]].

By the time of the [[War of the Ring]] in the late Third Age, where the Great East Road met the [[Greenway]] lay the ancient village of [[Bree]]. A days ride east lay [[The Forsaken Inn]], beyond which lay [[Rivendell]]. West of the crossroads the [[Hobbits]] had colonized the Shire, and their most important towns lay athwart the East Road; ([[Hobbiton]] and [[Michel Delving]] to name two).

[[Category:The Shire]]
[[Category:Roads and streets]]

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East Road