Bindbole Watch
North of Hobbiton and the Hill, the Bindbole Wood was once the most densely forested area in the Shire. Older generations will still remember how the trees once covered the landscape, with light seldom finding the forest floor. Woodcutters from the village of Overhill, found on the south-eastern edge of the Bindbole Wood, have felled many of trees in more recent years. Now the forest has become sparser, and is set to be become sparser still. Still considered a natural beauty, many are concerned that the Bindbole Wood will never recover from the axes of Overhill.
Set high above the forest is one of, if not the, most immaculate Arnorian in all the Shire. The name of this structure would depend on who you ask. Traditionally, it was known as the Bindbole Watch in the early centuries of the Shire Reckoning. Others know it as the King’s Ascent, for belief of its association with royalty. More recently, some have taken to call it the Bear Fort, or Bearfort, given that such beasts have made the foot of the hill surrounding the ruin their home. Regardless of its name, this ruin has inspired many tales and legends over the centuries. Some of the more memorable stories concern kings and knights, from which a mythical kingdom was ruled from this very place. Undoubtedly fictional, it is often true that even the most bizarre of legends are seasoned with truth and fact.
Found on the northern edge of the Bindbole Wood, the Bindbole Watch is mounted upon a great mound which offers an awe-inspiring view of the forest and the landscape beyond. Only the tallest of trees of the nearby forest are able to meet its impressive altitude. It has often been remarked that on the clearest of days, one can see each of the four farthings from the summit of the ruin. Clearly visible from many miles away, the Bindbole Watch proves particularly difficult to reach. No pavement or steps remain to ascend the great mound, meaning that any explorer has to weave back and forwards up the slippery slope in order to arrive at the ruin. Almost overhanging the ridge, the Bindbole Watch shares the stalwart and rigid design of many other Arnorian structures. The four-walled base of the Bindbole Watch is sculpted with the traditional façade of the Westernesse: the sacred stars of the ancient Ship-kings. A wide and steep set of steps ascend to the great archway that remains standing today, leading to the summit of the ruin. The archway is perhaps one of the singularly most impressive elements of Arnorian stonework in the Shire, adorned with seven stars. From leagues away, the enormity of this doorway can still be admired. Once the summit of the Bindbole Watch would have been walled by columned archways, of which only a number remain standing today. Although the archway on the eastern side of the ruin is impressively tall, the Bindbole Watch would have been an open-roofed structure. Complemented by the openness of the columned wall, the building and all those inside would have been exposed to the elements.
Unsurprisingly, there has been considerable debate in regards to what the Bindbole Watch is, or indeed was. It was traditionally believed to be the remnants of a great watchtower. The awe-inspiring view provided by the summit would have certainly allowed sentries to keep a close eye on the landscape. The steepness of the ascent that must be overcome to reach the ruin would have, during the centuries of its operation, provided the Bindbole Watch which an effective, natural defence. At such a height, a beacon-fire from this watchtower would have been visible from miles away. It is commonly believed that the Arnorians made use of such a warning system, alerting others in the case of an emergency. In the myths told in the Northfarthing, it is said that the ruin was once the home of the King, which is why the ruin is sometimes called the King’s Ascent. There is, however, no historical evidence to support these legends. The Kings of Arnor traditionally resided in the city of Annúminas, on the shores of Lake Evendim to the north. Their successors, the Kings of Arthedain, relocated to the Norbury of the Kings, otherwise Fornost Erain, after the latter city fell into disrepair. Unfortunately, the idea of kings residing in the Shire is little more than a fairy tale. Others have suggested that the Bindbole Watch was once a holy place, a Westernesse temple, where pilgrims would have to endure the difficult ascent to the ruin in order to prove their faith and devotion.
A recent uncover of fifth century manuscripts in the library of the Great Smials of Tuckborough have provided a new possible explanation of the origin and purpose of the Bindbole Watch. Written in Old Hobbitish, the translation of these papers are almost incomprehensible ramblings. The author, who is thought to have been mad, asserts that the ruin once housed a Seeing-stone, one of seven such magical devices. According to legend, the stone was used to communicate with the holders of the other six, across thousands of miles. The great round pedestal built upon the ruin’s summit, according to these writings, is where the Seeing-stone was placed. In the chronicles of Arvedui, it is said that a stone of a similar description was once kept in the great city of Annúminas, before it was lost when the Last King perished in the northern ice-bays. The content of these manuscripts, however, are generally dismissed among the historical community.
The Bindbole Watch, otherwise the King’s Ascent or the Bear Fort, is one of the best preserved structures of Arnorian craftsmanship that survive today. Although the Bindbole Wood around it has suffered from deforestation in recent years, the ruin is still proudly perched high above the trees. The Bolestones is the name given to the many bear-dens surrounding the site of the ruin, the likes of which make observing the ruin particularly dangerous.
