The Yale-height
The Yale region of the Eastfarthing has long been associated with the Boffin family. For many centuries, the headship of the family has held its seat in the lowlands between the Bridgefields and the Marish. The region was first cultivated by the Stoors, arriving from the southern hills of Dunland, some thirty years after the arrival of Marcho and Blanco, fourteen hundred years ago. As such, the Yale is regarded (rightly so) as one of the oldest settlements in the Shire.
Observation of the region, however, indicates that the area was populated long before the first mention of hobbits in the oldest of records. East of the village of Woodhall and north of Bamfurlong, three ancient columns stand upon a hillside of chalk, overlooking the lowlands of the Yale. The base of a fourth column is found on the northern foot of the hillside, partially buried and broken. They stand at a considerably greater height than the nearby Stocktower, though the pillars themselves are less impressive. In the centuries following the arrival of Marcho and Blanco, these ruins were given many names. The most consistent name, and the one primarily used today, is the Yale-height.
The stonework the columns clearly indicates them as works of the Westernesse, erected at some point during the Arnorian era. Given that this period is thought to have lasted over three thousand years, it is difficult to provide an accurate date of construction. The craftsmanship of the pillars is thought to be considerably less opulant than many of the other ruins found in the Shire. It is therefore likely that the Yale-height was constructed (in its entirety) during the early Arnorian age. A characteristic common among ruins of the Westernesse is the star: a symbol seemingly held sacred by their builders. The three remaining pillars of the Yale-height do not feature such adornments, leading many to question whether they are of truly of Arnorian build. Whatever the case may be, it is known that the Yale-height was a ruin when Marcho and Blanco arrived in the Shire, a time when the three realms of Arnor still endured. Seemingly, the Westernesse had abandoned it long before.
From the days of Marcho and Blanco some fourteen hundred years ago to the present day, the Yale-height has remained something of a mystery. There has been considerable disagreement over the centuries in regards to what the Yale-height actually is. However, a more prudent question to ask is what the Yale-height was. The three pillars that remain today are only part of the original structure, which has long been lost to the elements. The first settlers of the area, ancestors of the Boffins of the Yale today, were afraid of stepping too close to the ruin. Gedengar Bolger wrote that the first settlers in the area, ancestors to the Boffins of the Yale today, held the site in a fearful respect. It was their belief that the pillars had once supported a great temple where the Westernesse worshipped their gods, and to profane this holy place would surely provoke their wroth. As such, they seldom stepped too close to the Yale-height. Gedengar suggests that seven pillars, a number seemingly sacred in ancient Arnor, were erected; of which only three remain standing today. Munco Tunnelly, however, disregards Bolger’s assertion as “codswallop”. Instead, he writes, the Yale-height is the remains of a hunting lodge, frequented by kings and lords of the realm in the centuries before Argeleb the Second’s granting of the land to the Hobbits of Bree. There is no contemporary evidence to support either assertion, and the ruin will likely continue to perplex hobbits for many years to come.
A recent migration of harvest-flies surrounding the Yale-height has made research of the ruins particularly difficult. The fields cultivated close to the hillside have seemingly attracted the pests to make the site their home. Although unconcerned of the fury of Gedengar Bolger’s gods, the Yale-height is seldom visited in recent times due to the blight of the giant flies.
