Minor Places in Middle-earth - A

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Aldburg

(O.E. 'old fortress') A small fortified settlement in Rohan, built by Eorl the Young in the region known as the Folde, some miles to the southeast of Edoras. Though his son, Brego, moved to Edoras early in Rohan's history, Aldburg remained the residence of the descendants of Éofor, Brego's third son. At the time of the War of the Ring, it was the home of king Théoden's nephew Éomer, who was the Third Marshal of the Mark and heir to the Kingship.

All-welcome Inn

An inn located at the junction of the Northway and the East Road on the Hobbiton side of Frogmorton. It was much used by travellers, especially Dwarves from the Ered Luin.

Amon Hen

A hill located on the western bank of the river Anduin, at the southern end of the long lake Nen Hithoel above the Falls of Rauros. It is one of the three peaks at the Falls of Rauros, the others being Amon Lhaw, the Hill of the Ear, and Tol Brandir, an island located between the two hills. The Seat of Seeing was built there, serving as a watchtower for the northern borders of Gondor. It was constructed in the early days of Gondor.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, the Fellowship travels down the Anduin from Lothlórien to Amon Hen, but here the Fellowship is broken: Boromir attempts to take the One Ring by force from Frodo Baggins, who flees; Boromir is shortly afterward killed defending Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) and Peregrin Took (Pippin) from orcs sent by Saruman to capture the Ring; and the Orcs abscond with Merry and Pippin. After Frodo escapes from Boromir, he sits upon the Seat of Seeing while still wearing the Ring and is able to see events hundreds of miles distant. From Amon Hen, Frodo and Samwise Gamgee cross the Anduin on their way east to Mordor, while Merry and Pippin are carried by Saruman's Orcs in the direction of his hold at Isengard, and the rest of the Fellowship set out in pursuit of the Orcs.

Amon Lhaw

(S. 'Hill of the Ear') One of the three peaks above the Falls of Rauros which drained the lake known as Nen Hithoel, it towered amongst the Emyn Muil on the eastern banks of the Anduin. Its twin, Amon Hen (The Hill of Sight), lay upon the western bank. Between them, at the centre of the stream above Rauros, was the island peak Tol Brandir upon which none had ever set foot.

Although at one time Amon Lhaw had been on the northern boundary of Gondor and a high seat was built there (probably called The Seat of Hearing), this was no longer the case at the time of the War of the Ring; by then, it had long since fallen under the influence of Mordor. Also called the Hill of Hearing and perhaps Hill of the Ear in Westron.

Andrath

The ascending section of the Greenway or North-South Road which passed between the Barrow-downs in the west and the South Downs in the east. Beyond Andrath the road met the Great East Road just west of the gates of Bree.

When the Nazgûl came north from Mordor to seek the Ring in the Shire at the end of the Third Age, their leader, the Witch-king of Angmar, camped in Andrath. It is mentioned in the appendices of The Return of the King that it is likely that the Witch-king aroused the Barrow-wights in the nearby Barrow-downs while camped at Andrath.

Argonath

A monument comprising two enormous pillars carved in the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, standing upon either side of the River Anduin at the northern approach to Nen Hithoel.

The figures were originally constructed about T.A. 1240 at the order of Rómendacil II to mark the northern border of Gondor, although the realm was greatly diminished in size by the time the Fellowship of the Ring passed the Argonath on February 25, 3019.

Each of the two figures was shown wearing a crown and a helm, with an axe in its right hand and its left hand raised in a gesture of defiance to the enemies of Gondor.

Also known as the Gate of Kings or the Pillars of the Kings.

Azanulbizar

See Dimrill Dale