The next LEGO The Lord of the Rings set visits an area of Middle-earth that has been explored before but has been sorely in need of an expansion.
The Shire isn't quite as grandiose as the locations that inspired
Thankfully, that's exactly what 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire will do whenever it releases since it was listed earlier than likely intended. Details and further imagery of the next huge The Lord of the Rings model are unknown, but for now, we can see what came before it and just how well it expands on the LEGO The Shire models that have long since been retired.
With the focus of the new model being on Bag End, comparisons with 2012's 79003 An Unexpected Gathering are inevitable, and while such comparisons are best reserved until we receive more images, it's clear that even the biggest previous Shire model has been dwarfed (or should that be hobbited?) by the new model.
The curves of the hills and the tree on top are much more pronounced in the newly revealed set, and even the fence in front is more detailed than before, with boomerangs instead of flat tiles to add plenty of texture. The included carriage also calls back to 9469 Gandalf Arrives from 2012 – another of the few movie models based on a moment in The Shire.
79003 An Unexpected Gathering isn't the only build based on Bag End or a Hobbit-hole, specifically. The 2013 San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Micro Scale Bag End set is much more comparable in terms of overall shape to 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire, though the scales are entirely different.
30210 Frodo with cooking corner is another of the few builds based on Bag End, and we'll have to see what the interior of the new set has to offer with hopefully much more detail in its furnishings (try not to question the flower growing out of the floorboards).
Rounding out the list of LEGO The Shire models is the only build to cover more than one Hobbit-hole in a single set – 3920 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The LEGO Games model has 16 tiny buildings with greenery, bridges, water and paths, as well as a festive tent in the middle of the village – similar to the side builds in 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire.
Despite the increased size and complexity of the 2025 build, 3920 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is still the most comprehensive The Shire set in terms of how much of Hobbiton it covers. While we're on the subject of official LEGO depictions of The Shire to date, the LEGO The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and Dimensions games all include an open-world village to explore. It's not quite the same as the physical builds or comparable, but it's worth mentioning nonetheless.
The Shire has undoubtedly been covered much more in LEGO products than the likes of Rivendell and Barad-dûr, but the builds based on it so far haven't been nearly as complete as 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire, as the LEGO Group seemingly continues filling in the gaps of brick-built Middle-earth piece by piece.
There are no further details on 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire beyond the signing on April 5 and a single image, but stay tuned to Brick Fanatics for more news as it comes.
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