The Lord of the Rings

Lake-town, also known as Esgaroth upon the Long Lake, was the township of the Lake-men in Wilderland.

The town was constructed entirely of wood and stood upon wooden pillars sunk into the bed of the Long Lake, as a protection against the dragon Smaug, who dwelt nearby in the Lonely Mountain. It was situated on the west side of the lake, north of the mouth of the Forest River in a calm bay that was formed by the shelter of a rock promontory. A long wooden bridge connected the town to the land, ending in a building, with guards watching over the entrance. The central market square of the Lake-town. Art by Henning Janssen In the middle of Lake-town the central market-place was located, which was a round pool connected to the lake by a tunnel. The greatest houses of Lake-town were around this market-place, from which ramps descended to the water. The edge of the town was occupied with quays and, again, ramps, which descended to the water.

The Great Hall of Lake-town was the town's official meeting-place, and may have been the Master of Lake-town's personal residence. Thorin and Company were brought to the hall on their coming to Lake-town in TA 2941, during the Quest of Erebor, and eventually invited to stay for a time. It was later destroyed, as was the rest of Lake-town, by the dragon Smaug.

Lake-town, or Esgaroth (known fully as "Esgaroth upon the Long Lake"), was a small settlement of Men in the northwestern part of the Long Lake in Rhovanion. The town was constructed entirely of wood and stands upon wooden pillars sunk into the bed of the Long Lake, south of the Lonely Mountain and east of Mirkwood. It seems that the town's prosperity was built on trade between the Men, Elves, and Dwarves of northern Middle-earth.

The Lake-town gaol was a prison in Dale. Prior to Smaug's attack on the town, Bard was imprisoned in the gaol by the Master of Lake-town and Alfrid.

This house was owned by Bard and was in Lake-town. It is where his entire family lived before Smaug destroyed it during the destruction of Lake-town.