Facts about Shire
- 10
Hobbit pipe-weed, a mild narcotic plant called Longbottom Leaf, was cultivated extensively throughout the Shire and exported to surrounding regions of Middle-earth.
- 09
Hobbit culture in the Shire emphasized seven meals daily, including breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper as documented in Tolkien's writings.
- 08
Bilbo Baggins' birthday party in the Shire took place on September 22, 3018 of the Third Age, attended by 144 guests according to Tolkien's detailed records.
- 07
Four Farthings divided the Shire administratively, with the Eastfarthing, Westfarthing, Northfarthing, and Southfarthing each governed by their own Shirriff and local leadership structures.
- 06
In Tolkien's writings, the Shire occupied approximately 21,600 square miles, making it roughly the size of Switzerland in Middle-earth's geography.
- 05
Buckland, the easternmost region of the Shire, was colonized by Hobbits around the year 2340 of the Third Age after acquiring land across the Brandywine River.
- 04
Hobbit holes in the Shire featured round green doors and were built into hillsides, with interiors reaching depths of 20-30 feet into the earth for temperature control.
- 03
Approximately 30,000 Hobbits inhabited the Shire during the events of The Lord of the Rings, organized into four Farthings as Tolkien's fictional census.
- 02
Tolkien created the Shire's inhabitants, Hobbits, standing between 3 and 4 feet tall with a life expectancy averaging 100 years.
- 01
The Shire's Hobbiton movie set in New Zealand spans 12 acres and was constructed for filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy.