Directly west of Bree were the Barrow-downs and the Old Forest . Bree was the chief village of Breeland , a small wooded region near the intersection of the main north-south and east-west routes through Eriador . Breeland was the only part of Middle-earth where Men and hobbits dwelt side by side.
The name Bree means hill , according to Tolkien, referring to the fact that the village of Bree and the surrounding Breelands were clustered around a large hill. There were three villages in Breeland in addition to Bree proper. The name of the village Brill, which Bree may well be influenced by, has an interesting meaning.
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