"That is the Way for Us" - But Which Way?

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Marlowe221

The only explanation I can come up with is this: Either they had planned and started out towards Stock when the Black Rider and Gildor diverted them...

Or the map of The Shire printed in the book kind of sucks.

Firstly, good to see you posting and not lurking, welcome!

Secondly, while I agree that it seems strange not to have a road between Hobbiton and Tuckbourough I do think that your first explanation is correct. Frodo probably planned to hit the road to Stock and the Ferry, but the encounter with the Black Rider made him change his mind and take the lane to Wood End instead since it takes them more out-of-the-way. If you look at that map The Short-Cut (To Mushrooms) make sense too. Taking the lane to Woodhall and cutting across the Marish makes the trip shorter in distance but not (as Pippin points out) time-wise, not least because they are hindered by the Stockbrook (which is mentioned in the narrative). If you need any more proof that they did not take the road to Stock, Farmer Maggot lives in the Marish, which is south of the Stockbrook (while the Road is well north of it). Hope that was of some help.

Edit: I'm kind of tired and didn't quite understand what you meant, now I think I do. But in the quote you gave us Frodo says plainly that the way for them is the lane towards Woodhall, doesn't he? Pippin though he was a bit crazy taking that route, and he wanted that pint at Stock but the company certainly took the lane nevertheless.
"The sun had gone down behind the hills at their backs, and evening was coming on before they came back to the road as the end of the long level over which it had run straight for some miles. At that point it bent left and went down in to the lowlands of the Yale making for Stock; but a lane branched right, winding through a wood of ancient oak-trees on its way to Woodhall. 'That is the way for us,' said Frodo."

[Marlowe221]

Originally Posted by skip spence

Firstly, good to see you posting and not lurking, welcome!

Secondly, while I agree that it seems strange not to have a road between Hobbiton and Tuckbourough I do think that your first explanation is correct. Frodo probably planned to hit the road to Stock and the Ferry, but the encounter with the Black Rider made him change his mind and take the lane to Wood End instead since it takes them more out-of-the-way. If you look at that map The Short-Cut (To Mushrooms) make sense too. Taking the lane to Woodhall and cutting across the Marish makes the trip shorter in distance but not (as Pippin points out) time-wise, not least because they are hindered by the Stockbrook (which is mentioned in the narrative). If you need any more proof that they did not take the road to Stock, Farmer Maggot lives in the Marish, which is south of the Stockbrook (while the Road is well north of it). Hope that was of some help.

Edit: I'm kind of tired and didn't quite understand what you meant, now I think I do. But in the quote you gave us Frodo says plainly that the way for them is the lane towards Woodhall, doesn't he? Pippin though he was a bit crazy taking that route, and he wanted that pint at Stock but the company certainly took the lane nevertheless.
"The sun had gone down behind the hills at their backs, and evening was coming on before they came back to the road as the end of the long level over which it had run straight for some miles. At that point it bent left and went down in to the lowlands of the Yale making for Stock; but a lane branched right, winding through a wood of ancient oak-trees on its way to Woodhall. 'That is the way for us,' said Frodo."

That's true but if memory serves, Frodo does not come up with his short cut plan until after they meet Gildor and go for an un-planned hike way up into the hills with the Elves.

When the Hobbits come to that fork in the road, they make that turn (left or right) without knowing that they will meet the Elves in a little while.

Edit: Oh, I see what you're saying. Perhaps Frodo altered his course because of the first encounter with the Black Rider? That's interesting; I have never considered that before. I will have to go back and look at the text again and see if there are any hints of this theory.

[Tar-Jêx]

This is a very interesting thread, and when I have more time, I will certainly go back and read through those chapters and give my opinion.

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Marlowe221

Edit: Oh, I see what you're saying. Perhaps Frodo altered his course because of the first encounter with the Black Rider? That's interesting; I have never considered that before. I will have to go back and look at the text again and see if there are any hints of this theory.

Yep that's what I meant. Mind you, I'm going by memory here but that seems about right to me.

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

After seeing the black rider, Frodo and Sam are uneasy and make more of an effort at concealment. "They kept now a stone's throw to the left of the road, and kept out of sight as much as they could." This is naturally harder going than walking on the road, so it's only natural that at a fork Frodo would choose the less travelled path as it offered more chance of concealment. Any pursuit would be more likely on the road to Stock.

After they fall in with Gildor, the company travel with him to "the woods on the hills above Woodhall", which leaves the whole company the following morning some half-way between the road and the Stockbrook. Pippin obviously expects them to head back to the road, but Frodo's plan is to cut directly across country to the ferry, as I suspect he had already intended before meeting Gildor. Pippin isn't to know what Frodo intends, though, and it's clear that he still isn't as concerned as his companions from the fact that he's still talking about pubs and beer. To him this is a simple walking party, whereas Frodo and Sam - who are older and wiser - have begun to realise that they're in danger. Hence the only mistake is Pippin's of imagining that Frodo would decide to rejoin the road so that he could follow the CAMRA trail.

The map of the Shire is, indeed, the work of Christopher Tolkien. In the first edition you can see his initials at the bottom left of its title box. This is not a sign of potential inaccuracy: CRT has a good eye for inconsistencies and was no doubt asked to draw the maps because he's good at it. There was plenty of time between the completion of the LR narrative and publication (a manuscript version was in existence in 1949) for father and son to talk at length about all the maps to be included. While there may be some mistakes, completely misdirecting an entire road would be a big enough one to warrant paternal admonishment.

[The Mouth of Sauron]

If they had followed the Stock Brook all the way the morning after meeting Gildor they would have ended up much closer to the Ferry. They would then have had a choice of the Ferry or the Hay Gate. But the downsides were being possibly more exposed to the Black Riders and/or being delayed in the Golden Perch in Stock.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

CRT's maps were based on originals by JRRT; unfortunately since the originals were 'working maps' they had been much corrected, erased, overdrawn and smudged, so CRT at times misinterpreted what he was copying.

He discusses the LR maps at some length in HME.

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In The Scouring of the Shire, Pippin volunteers to ride "over the fields" to Tuckborough from Bywater, implying that there is no direct road.