amed Bywater because of its proximity to the stream known as the Water, this village lies closest to the center of the Shire. Most of the homes belonging to the hobbit folk—"hobbit holes", as they are sometimes known—are set back from the main road, tucked away in the gentle hills surrounding the main road. Along the East Road itself are shops, clustered around an intersection with a byway leading north, following the line of the Water.