Brandywine Bridge

The bridge stands where the East Road meets the Brandywine, with the Marish and Buckland on the far bank and Bree a day or two further east. It is a wide stone bridge with arches, older than the Shire itself, built when Arnor still maintained the road from the Grey Havens to Rivendell.

When King Argeleb II granted the land west of the river to Marcho and Blanco in TA 1601, the hobbits accepted two obligations: to acknowledge the king's lordship, and to keep the Brandywine Bridge and all other bridges and roads in repair. The Shire calendar counts its years from that grant.

The bridge is the Shire's front door, so it is where control of the Shire shows first. In TA 3019 Lotho's men built gates across it and raised a guard-house, and turned travellers away after nightfall. Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Sam rode up to those gates after dark on 30 October TA 3019, climbed over them and spent the night in the guard-house before riding on into the Shire.

Events at this place

1. TA 1601 · Appendices

   The Shire is granted

   Argeleb II gave the land beyond the bridge to the hobbits on condition that they keep the Bridge of Stonebows in repair and speed the king's messengers.

2. TA 3019, October 30 · The Lord of the Rings

   Gates across the bridge

   Lotho's ruffians barred the bridge with spiked gates and a guard-house, forbidding travel after dark.

3. TA 3019, October 30 · The Lord of the Rings

   The hobbits force the crossing

   Coming home by way of Bree, the four hobbits reached the barred Bridge after dark on 30 October, climbed the gate and spent the night in the guard-house. On 1 November they were arrested at Frogmorton.

Frequently asked questions