| Boromir: "Is it not a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt for so small a thing? So small a thing!" - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring II:10 |
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Bredford
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Bredford plan view: I. Ford. II. Guard Tower. III. Stable. IV. Barracks. V. Workshop (old Temple).
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Location of Bredford (left center) (after MERP)
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Type
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Hamlet/Village
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Region
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Bredford (Éo. "Wide-ford") was a settlement and river-crossing of Rohan's Westfold, roughly halfway between Helm's Deep and Edoras.
Description[]
Bredford in T.A. 3018-3019 was a small, unwalled hamlet on the west bank of a stream running northeastward. The village grew around an old Dúnedain military complex built to guard the ford at the time when this was the Gondorian province of Calenardhon.
Most of the houses were wooden structures, but some of them had stone foundations. They were rectangular buildings with just a ground floor, or at most a first one. The houses were around ten meters long and six wide. The hamlet had no streets as such, other than the Old North-South Road running east to west, and a secondary (unpaved) road running north to south parallel to the river. The buildings were arranged to leave large green spaces, which were sometimes fenced, in between.
The ancient Gondorian fort, built next to the river bank and encircled by a stone wall of around two meters height, had long since been abandoned (although some of the buildings had been used as a community store), and only recently repaired and re-occupied. The wall had a single gate which opened towards the road, which was in the old days framed by a stone arch which had now collapsed. The wall encircled an area of around thirty meters diameter and guarded four buildings: the tower (‘II’), the stable (‘III’), the barracks (‘IV’), and the workshop (‘V’). The tower was in fact not inside the walls but leaned against the exterior of it just above the ford. It also had an independent access from the exterior: a small wooden door on the first floor, leading down to the ford via a wooden staircase. The tower was fifteen meters high, and the best preserved building in the fort, as it was being used at this time by a garrison fifteen men strong. The men used the ground floor as barracks, while the captain utilized the first floor for himself. The second floor served as a storeroom, while the third (roof) was the post of the watchmen. There was also a basement that was being used as a warehouse and armory for the garrison. A set of stairs went up the tower’s internal wall, connecting all the five floors.
The stable was also being used by the garrison to accommodate their mounts. It was a rectangular building with stone walls and a damaged wooden roof in quite poor condition; and also contained a well from which the fort obtained fresh water.
The workshop (formerly a temple) was a small structure also built with stone walls and a gabled roof which had been recently repaired by the villagers. The interior was practical, with a small forge and other tools to repair both simple weapons and everyday gear. Next to this building there were two small mounds, three meters in diameter, covered with grass and without entrance.
The old barracks building (‘IV’) was the largest in the fort, but it was abandoned long ago and had never been really repaired. The ground floor and first floor had stone walls, but the second floor was made of wood. Most of the original roof no longer existed, and the state of the structure as a whole was quite deplorable.
Places of note[]
- IV. Barracks (floor-plans at left):
- I. Sala principal (Main room).
- II. Cocina (Kitchen).
- III. Despensa (Pantry).
- IV. Almacen (Storage).
- V. Pasillo (Hallway).
- VI. Estancia (Bedroom).
Notes[]
Original form: Braedforth → Bredford
References[]
- Other Minds Magazine Issue 14: A Hope Unforeseen - Men from Drúwaith Iaur, Part 1
- Milicianos Drúwaith Iaur Completo ("Militiamen of Drúwaith Iaur Complete", in Spanish) ca. 2012