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ing-wall Chambers
‘Many houses there were… cut and
tunnelled back into the walls upon their
inner side . . . the open circle was
overlooked by countless windows
and dark doors.’
— The Two Towers
The ring-wall is honeycombed
with chambers, many linked together
by tunnels and halls to form suites,
‘houses,’ and even small complexes. It
is possible, in some places, to travel
hundreds of feet of the ring-wall’s
circumference without emerging into
the light of day. With the exception of
the Tunnel Guardhouse and Stables,
all ring-wall dwellings open directly
(or indirectly, though other rooms)
on the interior face of the ring-wall,
which is riddled with doors and windows.
The vast majority of doors are
wooden, but some are carved from
the stone of the ring-wall itself. Most
of the windows have iron grilles for
protection. Some also have wooden
or metal shutters to protect against
rain and cold.
The eight paths that cross the
basin divide the ring-wall into eight
portions. The First Portion—each
is known by a number—is the one
immediately to the west of the main
gate, and the rest are numbered clockwise
from it. Saruman has organized
the chambers in each portion to have
a similar function, be it housing for
servants, barracks for warriors, storage
for supplies, or workshops for
craftsmen. In addition to making it
easier for the ruler of Isengard to
know where his subjects are, and what
they are doing, this scheme also segregates
Men from their cultural—or
racial—rivals. It serves an additional
purpose as well, keeping Saruman’s
more wretched servitors from easy
sight, so visitors see only the most
prosperous occupants, and thus form
a more favourable view of the place.
3
The Fortress of Iron
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