Skip to content
Map Middle-earth
en

Plain · Rohan

The Wold

The high northern grassland of Rohan between Fangorn and the Anduin

View on map Rohan
Appears in
The Lord of the Rings
Region
Rohan
The Wold on the map of Middle-earth

The Wold lies in the top corner of Rohan, bounded by the Limlight to the north, the Anduin to the east, the Entwash to the south and Fangorn to the west. It is higher and drier than the rest of the Mark and carries thin grass, so herds were pastured there in summer rather than settled year round.

Its position made it exposed. Raiders crossing the Anduin from the east struck the Wold first, and in TA 3019 Rohan's northern herds were being driven off by orcs out of the mountains and from Dol Guldur's side of the river.

The Wold matters to the plot as ground crossed at speed. The Uruk-hai who seized Merry and Pippin at Parth Galen carried them north-west over these downs toward Isengard, and Éomer's éored rode them down on the edge of Fangorn. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli ran the same ground on foot for three days and nights tracking them.

Events at this place

  1. TA 3019, February 27 · The Lord of the Rings

    The orc march across the Wold

    Uruk-hai carried Merry and Pippin over the Wold toward Isengard, pursued on foot by Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli.

  2. TA 3019, February 29 · The Lord of the Rings

    Éomer destroys the orc band

    Riding against orders, Éomer's éored caught and killed the orc company near the eastern eaves of Fangorn at the Wold's edge.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Wold on the Middle-earth map?

In northern Rohan, between Fangorn Forest and the Anduin, north of the Entwash and south of the river Limlight.

Why was the Wold so empty?

It is high, dry grazing land rather than settled country, and it lay open to raiders crossing the Anduin from the east.