thranduil_of_mirkwood

The entrance to the formal gardens:


A cosy bench to rest and admire the beauty of the gardens:


Delicate, beautiful, and a lot of work. The water feature was lovely but didn't get a closer shot of it.



I'm not sure what kind of trees these are, but they're lovely even in winter.



The entrance to the hedge maze.


Parts of the maze were taller than others. This section wasn't as tall and it was pretty easy to see over the tops, however I don't believe the owners' intention was to have their guests truly get lost, so I'll overlook it.



Here we have taller hedges as we go deeper in. Loved this statue.



At the center of the maze, another garden. This one smaller, but quite charming.



And here is the well, supposedly dug during the time of Arthur and his knights. Legend has it (according to the plaque next to the well) that Lancelet pledged his courtly love of Gwenhwyfar and swore he would love no other, casting a lock of his hair entwined with a lock of hers into the well's depths. Not entirely certain what that was supposed to achieve, and regardless, I still believe that it was Arthur (or Gwydion, depending upon who you read) who Lancelet pledged his love to. No way to know for certain, I suppose. Still, it makes for a lovely tale.

Name: Thranduil Oropherion

King of Mirkwood and father of Legolas,Thranduil was a Sindarin prince that came from the west with his father Oropher in the Second Age. They established the kingdom of Greenwood the Great, which later became known as Mirkwood.

Along with his father, he fought in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. When Oropher was lost in one of the first battles,Thranduil became king. He wished to recreate the glory of Doriath, from whence he came, and he started to build a cave hall to match Menegroth. However,due to the inappropriate terrain at Greenwood, the cave hall was not easy to make and so when it was finished, it looked nothing like Menegroth.

Thranduil sent his son Legolas to the Council of Elrond in TA 3018. When the War of the Ring ended, he met with Celeborn and agreed to cede South Mirkwood to Lothlórien. The region became known as East Lorien.

Thranduil then renamed Mirkwood Eryn Lasgalen, meaning "the forest of the greenleaves".

Unlike his kin, Thranduil never left Middle Earth for Aman, but remained behind, gradually withdrawing into seclusion until more modern times. He learned to hide his immortality over the years by changing his appearance and name, sometimes moving into a new location entirely and reestablishing himself there. Today, he lives in Inverness where he owns and operates a whiskey distillery with his son, Legolas, who had returned to Middle Earth when the road to Aman opened.

Thranduil is tall and blonde and blue-eyed as is typical of his Sindarin kin. He is broad shouldered and strongly built, having maintained his warrior physique over the years. He is considered incredibly attractive by humans of both sexes, and is quite charming when he wants to be. He does have a temper and a sharp tongue when roused, and can be quick to anger when he feels he has been wronged. He is very loyal to those he trusts, and wary of allowing strangers within his circle.

Thranduil lives in an upscale townhouse in Inverness, and uses his time making his business partnership with Legolas a success. He works hard, but plays even harder, and has a bit of a reputation as a playboy, due to his eligible bachelor status, but he does not bestow his affections casually or lightly, despite what the gossip columns say.