Travelling to the Yondershire

 The Yondershire is the new north-western hobbit-region added to The Shire in April 2022 (update 33). In fact it is the same area as The Shire, and you can see this clearly when you make use of the stables for travelling within The Shire. Access to the quests requires the Yondershire quest pack, but is free for players with a VIP account. Quests in the Yondershire are mainly intended for toons of level 20 - 24. You can also start at level 18 or 19, but at these levels most of the quests will be red. 

The Yondershire area (the red dotted line is the boundary between The Shire)

Lore of the Yondershire
The Hobbits from Bree got official permission from the high king of Fornost (Argeleb II) in T.A. 1601 to settle the land between the Brandywhine River and the Far Downs. The total area was about 21,400 square miles and was divided into four subregions of the Shire: the four farthings. There were cooler and drier fields in the Northfarthing; downlands in the Westfarthing; sheltered coplands in the Southfarthing and the mixed lands in the Eastfarthing - consisting of woods, marshes, croplands and quarries. A little east of Bywater there is an official 'three farthings point', where the three borders of the West-, East and Southfarthing come together into one single point. On this  location, the Hobbits have erected the Three Farthing Stone. This landmark can be seen at 32.2S, 69.6W near Bywater, near Tom Cotton's farm. The location and a scenic view of this landmark is presented below.  (Note: actually there is another three farthings point, just east of Overhill. At this place the borders of the West-, North- and Eastfarhing come together. However, the hobbits have not erected a special landmark on this spot).

Location of the Three Farthing Stone in The Shire

The Three Farthing Stone as seen from Tom Cotton's Farm

Enjoying a close view of the Three Farthing Stone

Later in history, the Eastmarch (Buckland) and the Westmarch were added to the Shire. The Eastmarch was occupied in T.A. 2340, almost 700 years before the War of the Rings. The Westmarch was granted by Aragorn, 32 years after the end of the War of the Rings. 

By playing Lord of the Rings Online, the Eastmarch is the area east of Combe and Staddle. The Westmarch is situated east of Gamwich and Tighfield, and only a small part is accessable in the game. South of Foxden Heath and the Shire Homesteads - near Michel Delving - lies the Southfarthing. Since the start of LOTRO in 2007, this particular area of the Shire is still inaccessible. In the map below you see the boundaries of the Northfarthing and the Westfarthing.

In the Tolkien's books, and especially in 'The History of Middle Earth' by Christopher Tolkien, there is no mention of the Yondershire. So, this area should be interpreted as the lands, ruins and settlements 'beyond' the Hill, west of Bilbo Balings home. If you look at J.R.R. Tolkien's maps, and especially at the maps in the Atlas of Middle Earth by Karen Wynn Fonsted & Christophor Tolkien, you will see that the Yondershire contains both the Northfarthing and the Westfarthing. A correct picture of the boundaries of these farthings in the LOTRO game can be seen below:

Farthing boundaries within the Yondershire (S = Southfarthing)

As you can seen on the map above, the Westfarthing contains not only the Yondershire area, but also a small partion of LOTRO's 'The Shire' area, with Needlehole, Little Delving and Michel Delving.

Traveling to the Yondershire
If you are in the Shire, and you have never visited the Yondershire, you can enter this area by following the road westwards from Needlehole. Just pass through the Rushock Gate and you will enter the Yondershire.

If you are in the tiny settlement of Little Delving, you can enter the Yondershire by following the road in north-western direction. You will soon enter the Yondershire and arrive at the settlement of Foxden Road. If you want to travel through the wilds, you have to go to Rushock Bog. Go to the centre of this boggy place ant travel in a western direction: you will soon enter the wilds of Yondershire, east of the Foxden Road settlement. Another option, is travelling from Ered Luin. Go to Duillond, cross the high bridge across the river and go in eastern direction. After a while you will enter the Yondershire, but it will take a while before you will reach the first settlement: Tighfield.

If you have already visited one of the stables of the Yondershire, the most convenient way to travel to this region, is by hiring a horse at a stable from Michel Delving in the Shire. Just choose one of the stable destinations in the Yondershire, like Nobottle, Tighfield, Foxden Road or Gamwich.

Starting the questline for the Yondershire

As soon as your adventurer reaches level 19 or 20, you can start with the first quest 'To Yondershire' in Needlehole, in the northwestern part of The Shire. Travel to Needlehole, pass the hedge gate and find Bounder Chubb next to the corner of the gate. Pick up your first Yondershire-quest: Bounder Chubb will ask you to pay a visit to the dwellings of Nobottle and Tighfield in the Yondershire. 

Bounder Chubb in Needlehole

After you got the quest from Bounder Chubb, follow the road westwards, cross the two stone bridges, and go through the Rushock Gate. After passing this gate, you will find Bingo Boffin along the road. Bingo will give you the second Yondershire quest,  'A visit to Yondershire', which directs you to Tighfield. Go through the stone gate which can be seen behind Bingo and turn left, e.g. westwards: your adventures in the Yondershire (aka the North- and Westfarthing) will begin!

Below is a graphic report of my travel to the Yondershire, picking up quests from Bounder Chubb and Bingo Boffin. I came from the road northy of Rushock Bog and arrived at the little settlement of Needlehole. Directly after passing the Hedge Gate, I found Bounder Chubb.

Location of Bounder Chubb in Needlehole

After I got the quest, I travelled westward, following road which is directly adjacent to the river, which is simply called The Water. The Water is actually a short name for Shire-water, a river which runs through both the Shire and Yondershire areas. It is feeded by two streams at Tighfield and Long Cleeve, their waters joins at Nobottle with 'The Water'. From Needlehole, 'The Water' runs eastwards into Rushock Bog, then it flows to Hobbiton, Bywater abd the marshes of Frogmorton. Finally it joins the Brandywine river near Stock, north of the Brandywine Bridge.

To enter the Yondershire, I followed the path westwards along The Water, first crossing a high stone bridge. After a while I crossed The Water again, now travelling over a low stone bridge. Shortly after, I arrived at Rushock Gate, which is also a Hedge gate - like the one in Needlehole.

From Needlehole to Rushock Gate

The high stone bridge across The Water, near Needlehole

The low stonebridge across The Water, near Rushock Gate 

At Rushock Gate, I saw Bounder Dogberry, who waved me goodbye when I travelled through the beautiful ivy hedgegate.

Bounder Dogberry at Rushock Gate

After passing the hedgegate, I entered the Yondershire. Soon I saw a low stone fence, with an arched stone gate. A friendly hobbit in a green jacket was standing near the road. It was Bingo Boffin, who gave me a quest to visit hobbits in the settlement of Tighfield.

Bingo Boffin and the stone gate to the Yondershire