From Tom Bombadil's house to the Road

[The Mouth of Sauron]

When the 4 hobbits left Tom Bombadil's house to make their way to the Road, why didn't they just ride north along the eastern edge of the Old Forest rather than getting tangled up in the Barrow Downs?

[Galadriel55]

I'm fuzzy on the details right now, but I think that it was a very simple reason that as they were in the middle of the forest already, they did not see fit to return back and around. Firstly, that part of the forest is not that safe either. Secondly, they'd be wasting precious time, which the hobbits may not have noticed but Tom certainly did. Lastly, they entered the forest to lose the Nazgul. Tom also kept those in mind while the hobbits stayed with him, and he knew that they would be there as soon as the hobbits leave the forest, so might as well stay hidden and under that protection for as long as the route permits.

[The Mouth of Sauron]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I'm fuzzy on the details right now, but I think that it was a very simple reason that as they were in the middle of the forest already, they did not see fit to return back and around. Firstly, that part of the forest is not that safe either. Secondly, they'd be wasting precious time, which the hobbits may not have noticed but Tom certainly did. Lastly, they entered the forest to lose the Nazgul. Tom also kept those in mind while the hobbits stayed with him, and he knew that they would be there as soon as the hobbits leave the forest, so might as well stay hidden and under that protection for as long as the route permits.

But Bombadil's house was OUTSIDE the Old Forest ?

[William Cloud Hicklin]

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line? Bree lay northeast of Tom's house.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by The Mouth of Sauron

But Bombadil's house was OUTSIDE the Old Forest ?

More like in a clearing in the midst of it, as I imagined it. Once again, though, I'm fuzzy on the details of that trip, and perhaps the hobbits are too - with the tricksy trees and Withywindle, they were quite lost as well and had no sense of direction, so there's little we can tell for certain from their trip to his house. But considering that next to no mortals know about him, and even Elves don't really seem to be keeping in touch with him, his house is definitely well off the travel routes.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

"Then suddenly the trees came to an end and the mists were left behind. They stepped out of the Forest, and found a wide sweep of grass welling up before them... The grass under their feet was smooth and short, as if it had been mown or shaven. The eaves of the Forest behind them were clipped, and trim as a hedge. The path was now plain before them.....There was Tom Bombadil's house, up, down, under hill. Beyond it a steep shoulder of the land lay grey and bare, and beyond that the dark shapes of the Barrow-downs stalked away into the eastern night."

[mhagain]

Originally Posted by The Mouth of Sauron

When the 4 hobbits left Tom Bombadil's house to make their way to the Road, why didn't they just ride north along the eastern edge of the Old Forest rather than getting tangled up in the Barrow Downs?

They did.

They rode off along a path that wound away from behind the house, and went slanting up towards the north end of the hill-brow under which it sheltered ..... Goldberry spoke to them and recalled their eyes and thoughts. 'Speed now, fair guests!' she said. 'And hold to your purpose! North with the wind in the left eye and a blessing on your footsteps!'

And:

They rode across and looked northwards. Then their hearts rose, for it seemed plain that they had come further already than they had expected. Certainly the distances had now all become hazy and deceptive, but there could be no doubt that the Downs were coming to an end. A long valley lay below them winding away northwards, until it came to an opening between two steep shoulders. Beyond, there seemed to be no more hills. Due north they faintly glimpsed a long dark line. That is a line of trees,' said Merry, 'and that must mark the Road. All along it for many leagues east of the Bridge there are trees growing. Some say they were planted in the old days.'
'Splendid!' said Frodo. 'If we make as good going this afternoon as we have done this morning, we shall have left the Downs before the Sun sets...

The Downs themselves seem to have come right to the eastern edge of the Old Forest, so by riding along the eastern edge of the Forest one is in the western edge of the Downs, but it was only when the fog came down that things really got messed up.