Highway of Old

The most important  travel-way  into  the  Wizard’s Vale  was  the ancient highway  known  to  the  denizens  of  Isengard  simply  as ‘the  road’. It began  just  outside  the  gates  of Isengard,  where  the  ground  was  firm and level. Here it  more  resembled  a wide  street  than  a  road,  for  it  was  constructed  of  massive  slabs  of  stones, so skilfully  joined  that  not  a  blade  of grass  showed  in  any  joint. As it  led southward, the road became rougher and eventually  met  the  Isen,  thereafter  following  its  western  bank  for some thirty miles to the Fords of Isen, where it  intersected  with  the  Great West Road. Upon crossing the Great West Road,  the  road  from  Isengard becams not  much  more  than  a  trail that continued  southward  along  the edge of  the  White  Mountains,  joining a network of footpaths that crossed Drúwaith Iaur, Old Púkel-land.