Dol Amroth (Hill)

Dol Amroth was a rocky promontory on the western coast of Belfalas named after the Sinda lord Amroth son of Amdír, who founded Tirith Aear upon its cliffs during the mid-Second Age. Later, after Belfalas was was given as a fief to Edhelion of Dor-en-Ernil and his descendants, the name was extended to refer to the entire Númenórean settlement of the promontory, both Ost-en-Ernil and Lond Ernil, the haven-town that grew up around it. When reference was made only to the town and not the castle. "Lond Ernil" was used instead.

Foreseeing the new threat posed by Sauron to the Elves, Amroth son of Amdír of Doriath, caused a mighty fortification to be raised on the rocky promontory overlooking Lond Cobas.In order to bar any host our of Mordor from laying siege to nearby Edhellond. This citadel was completed in S.A. 1620, and Amroth named it Tirith Aear, the Sea-ward Tower. Amroth dwelt there with many of his people (though the majority still resided at Edhellond, to which the tower was joined by the natural haven at the foot of the hill that thereafter bore his name).

In SA. 3400, after the Downfall of Númenor and the foundation of the Realms-in-exile, Edhelion of the line of Imrazôr, Captain of the faithful at Pelargir, was granted the peninsula of Belfalas as a fief by Elendil the Tall. Edhelion established his dwelling place on the summit of Dol Amroth, beside the Tirirh Aear. and founded the haven of Lond Ernil below. As the first Prince of Belfalas, Edhelion chose this location because of his line's ancestral friendship with Cirdur's people.The massive fortification of Ost-en-Ernil and the building of the haven took more than fifteen years to complete.Together, the works of Amroth and Edhelion created the strongest fortress of southern Gondor.

The fortifications were not tested during the War of the Last Alliance; but the death of Amroth's father in that battle drove the Sinda lord to take up the rule of Lothlórien in the north, surrendering the guardianship of Tirirh Aear to his longtime allies, Galadriel and Celeborn the Wise. Upon her arrival at Tirith Aear, Galadriel commissioned the construction of a great Sea-bell and beacon, commemorating Saurons defeat at the hands of the Last Alliance. This work was completed in T.A. 1, becoming a legendary aid to manners and a source of undying fame for Edhelion and his descendants.

Tirith Aear and Ost-en-Ernil underwent little architectural change during the remainder of the Third Age. Galadriel and Celeborn resided in the Sea-ward Tower until the year T.A. 1982, after Amroth, fleeing the horror of the Balrog in Moria, placed the folk of Lórien in their care. Galadriel, in turn, entrusted Tirith Aear to the Prince of Belfalas, whose line took custodianship of it from that time onward.

The Lands
Amroth's hill was an awe-inspiring sight. Its white cliffs rose out of the tumultuous waters of Belfalas to a sheer height of 2,600 feet, before tapering off at a still-prccipitous slope To the Summit of the hill, nearly 3.500 feet above the waves, where the unassailable Castle of the Prince stood. No less awesome was the Tirith Aear, perched atop the very tip of the promontory. Although founded upon a rocky shelf less than half way up the height on the cliffs, the tower itself rose 350 feet, making it the tallest fortification in all of southern Gondor. The gentler northern lace of the promontory sheltered the populous haven of Lond Ernil, which was delved and terraced into the solid granite of the hill, fresh water was supplied to Dol Amroth through a subterranean aqueduct, which originated in the nearby mountains of the peninsula and whose waters found their way into Lond Ernil by way of several exposed rivulets. The ridge of the promontory ran eastward to a narrow neck of cliff which joined the peninsula to the mainland. This ridge was crowned with a fortified road, the terminus of the Men Ernil, which also defined the boundary of the haven. A wall and .strong gate blocked all landward approaches to the promontory.

Flora and Fauna
Because of its precipitous character, Dol Amroth afforded little space for an abundance of animal or plant life. Nevertheless, the rocky promontory was not wholly barren. Countless gulls nested in the cliffs of the hill—especially on its southern face—and seals sunned themselves on the rocks below. Due to its topography, Lond Ernil lacked the necessary open space to sustain animal husbandry 'fish being the main food staple for the commoners. Only the citadel's baileys could contain livestock of any size, but that did not create a problem, since the prince's tables were supplied primarily from the adjoining mainland.

The only notable vegetation occurred above the edge of the cliffs, where the ground became more level.Here, the prince maintained spacious pleasure gardens, which contained many rare species transplanted from Númenor or Elven country, and served as a home to the fabled kirinki and other songbirds. There was also a small open pasture for horses. But the summit of Amroth's hill also possessed, here and there, mighty pine trees, whose seeds were brought from the high reaches of the Ered Torthonion. These massive pines were a wonder to behold, and were rumored to be the tallest in all of southern Gondor.

The Inhabitants
Although Amroth's hill had been a home to many of the great among the Eldar during the Second and Third Ages—even Galadriel herself—the Elves had for the most part kept to themselves, dwelling only in the Tirith Aear and having little contact with Men (save for their friendship with the Prince of Belfalas). Ost-en-Ernil, on the other hand, was primarily inhabited by pure-blooded Dúnedain in the service of the princely house.

Since much of Lond Ernil was oriented towards sustaining the prince and his court, there was a constant traffic of people between the castle and the haven below, but because the nobility of Belfalas did not actually reside at Dol Amrotb on a permanent basis, the latter's population was largely military in character. When considered separately from Lond Ernil, Ost-en-Ernil was essentially a garrison.