North-South Road Printable version

The North-South Road, also known as the North Road or the Old South Road, is a section of the Royal Road connecting Arnor and Gondor. (The other part of the Royal Road or the Great Road is called the Great West Road. Aside from the two roads mentioned, the Great East Road is also known as the Royal Road.) Roughly 600 miles long, this road stretches from the north in Fornost down to the south where Isengard lies. Ford of Isen serves as a crossroads between the North-South Road and the Great West Road. Later on, people of Bree called the North-South-Road, the Greenway, because it is no longer useful and the grasses grow all over the area make the road inaccessible to travelers and dwellers.

What Is The History Of The North-South Road?

Eriador is the northern part of the North-South road. It runs from Fornost, one of its cities, towards the southern part called Bree. Coming out of the West-Gate of Bree, you will find this road intersects with the Great East Road. In this crucial crossroad, travelers deliver some tidings from the south and bring goods like pipe-weed to cities like Bree and Shire within The Prancing Pony Inn. The North-South Road traverses through the Andrath, an alley that connects the Barrow-downs and the South-downs. The south of Andrath branches off a path to the Shire as it turns to the southeast direction via the Minhiriath region. The North-South road intertwines the River Greyflood located in the city of Tharbad, which lies in the southern border of Eriador.

Initially, the North-South Road passed through the Bridge of Tharbad. On whichever side of the bridge, there are causeways established on the road to make travel across the marshland possible. Unfortunately, a devastating flood throughout Eriador during the TA 2912 shatters the bridge, and all that’s left is a stretch of land amid the shallow body of water. Enedwaith is also a fraction of the North-South Road’s southern part. At one point, it used to be a nominal part of Gondor and a boundary between Arnor and Gondor. In the east of Enedwaith, right at the bottom of the Misty Mountains, is Dunland. The southern edge of the Misty Mountains leads the North-South Road towards the east, passing across the Gap of Rohan and reaching the Ford of Isen. The North-South Road branches out in the west of the Ford of Isen, heading to the city of Isengard in the north.

On the other side, it extends to the east of the Ford, passing through the Great West Road going to Minas Tirth and Osgiliath. The Great Road or the Royal Road has two parts that make up its whole - the Great West Road and the North-South Road. It is the primary roadway linking Gondor and Arnor that were both established during the Second Age in 3320. Both of them keep their parts of the road and are in charge of taking care of their own stretch. They work together in the construction and maintenance of the Bridge of Tharbad, along with its roadways.

How They Ruin The North-South Road

Following the Great Plague of Middle-Earth of TA 1636, Gondor and Arnor significantly wear out and become incapable of maintaining the repair of both the North-South road and the bridge. Eventually, the North-kingdom [1] ends during TA 1974, and it results in the abandonment of Fornost in the northern part of the North-South Road. Close by the city of Tharbad, the causeways finally collapse, and only the swaps remain on the road. During the spring of TA 2912, following the Fell Winter of the Third Age, the North-South road is hit by devastating floods, which cause the bridge to fall. Because of this catastrophe, fewer and fewer travelers are passing through the North-South Road. Grasses grow wild in most parts of it. That is why residents of Bree come up with the name Greenway because of the overgrown grasses in the area. Meanwhile, during the War of the Ring, when the Third Age is approaching an end, unwanted travelers from the south start to flock to the North-South Road. These travelers consist of different people- some are honest refugees, while others are troublemakers like the people of Saruman. The war in Bree during early 3019 leads the Saruman’s agents to take over the Shire. [2]

How The Road Is Re-Established

On November 3, the Hobbits expel the residents of the Shire through the last military engagement of the War of the Ring, and the last known war in the region called the Battle of Bywater. The Rangers of the North then come back from the war to face and fight the remaining mischief-makers. Aragorn, King Elessar re-establishes the North-kingdom and reopens the North-South Road to travelers once again.

References

1. ^North-kingdom.
2. ^The Lord of the Rings Online.