Review: 10354 The Shire from LEGO® Icons The Lord of the Rings

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, but a hobbit hole made of LEGO® bricks! Today we journey back to Middle-earth to recreate Bilbo Baggins' famous abode, Bag End, in set 10354 The Shire. 

There's much to celebrate in this set; not only is it Bilbo's eleventy-first birthday but we finally get a LEGO Tolkien-based set that isn't prohibitively expensive. Plus, the set contains a treasure trove of new elements including 2 new moulds, 8 exclusive minifigures, and 13 recolours. Let's take a look!

 

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire

• Release date: 2 April 2025 for LEGO Insiders, 5 April for all
• Pieces: 2017

Price:

• US$ 269.99 on LEGO.com US
• CA$ 349.99 on LEGO.com Canada
• GB£ 229.99 on LEGO.com UK
• AU$ 399.99 on LEGO.com Australia
• NZ$ 449.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
• DE€ 269,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
• NL€ 269,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
• FR€ 269,99 on LEGO.com France
• PLN 1149.99 on LEGO.com Polska
• NOK 3299,90 on LEGO.com Norge
• DKK 2099.95 on LEGO.com Danmark

Other countries click here

  

Gift with Purchase 40761 Sméagol™ & Déagol™

• Release date: 2 to 8 April 2025, or while stocks last
• Pieces: 181
• Measures: over 6 in. (15 cm) high, 5.5 in. (14 cm) wide and 2 in. (6 cm) deep
• Availability: Free with purchases via LEGO Stores or LEGO.com of set 10354 The Lord Of The Rings: The Shire.

View GwP 40761 on LEGO.com

New elements

10354 The Shire contains 4 new elements: 2 are new moulds and 2 are new cloth elements.

New moulds

• 4x Window 1 x 2 x 2 with Round Hole in Dark Green (6534881 | 7276)
• 1x Skirt Long in Tan (6528360 | 7221)

Let's look at these elements in a little more detail.

Window 1 x 2 x 2 with Round Hole in Dark Green (part 7276)

A new element joins the family of 2 brick-high panels.

The element features side supports and a small top and bottom hole to accept a pane of glass, just like the existing windows.

So, how big is that hole? 

In the tablescrap above, the centre stud of the red 2x2 jumper is at the centre of the hole. 

A minifigure head seemed like a good place to start. It fits comfortably with a little wiggle room. I knew the Crown (36292) would be too large but I've included it in the picture above as the flat portion of the base lined up nicely level with the surface of the window. Tool Cup / Half Ball (50018b) would have been another perfect fit if it weren't for the ridges that made it just a little too wide to insert into the hole. Finally, the base of Cone 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 2/3 (33492) is close enough to call a perfect fit.

On to LEGO® Technic and a few more unusual elements; the Voodoo Ball (1000) fits as nicely as the minifigure head does, whereas the small Technic gear (3647, 10928, 11955) was the only cog that I could fit inside the hole. By chance I came across the rather obscure Motor Pulley, 9V Micromotor with axle hole (2983) which was a perfect fit. The Turntable Snap (65146) also fit snugly – perhaps a little too snugly, as I roughed up the edge of the hole quite a bit while inserting and removing the part.

In conclusion, while there are plenty of elements that can be put comfortably inside it, there are very few that are a perfect fit. I assume that the hole is as large as the element designers could make it without compromising the integrity of the part. 

1x Skirt Long in Tan (7221)

A new skirt provides more wardrobe options for our minifigures! I thought this element was worth a little bit of investigation as it might be repurposed in MOCs thanks to its boxy shape. 

It has some unusual dimensions, sitting comfortably within a 2 x 3 module space with lots of room around it and standing about halfway between 1 module (2.5 plates) and 3 plates high. As minifigure hips are slightly narrower than a standard 1 x 2 brick, the element doesn't sit very comfortably upon them.

Here is how the new skirt sits on different leg lengths...

... and here is how the length compares to the existing skirts. It appears to be about twice the length of the short version (pictured above left, design ID 65753, 78134).

As for using it in MOCs, it works pretty well as a container, perhaps as a plant pot?

New cloth elements

Set 10354 contains 2 new large fabric pieces.

• 1x Banner, "Happy Birthday Bilbo Baggins" pattern in Bright Light Yellow (6540034)
• 1x Large Cloth, Tent pattern in Tan (6540036)

These textiles are pretty accurate recreations of the designs seen on screen and the first example of some lovely graphic design in this set, we'll see a lot more in the new prints and minifigures later. The tent fabric features very subtle creases to guide the folds to help attach it to the frame.

I was curious to see how these cloth elements were designed to fit into LEGO® System.

Other than the holes present to keep the elements in place on their models, It seems that these elements are not otherwise in-System. For example, the birthday banner is somewhere between 13 and 14 modules long and 2 to 3 modules wide. 

Recolours

A total of 12 elements have been recoloured for the set. First, we need some new green elements to build our verdant hillside home:

• 6x Brick Round Corner 4 x 4 x 1 with Bottom Cut Outs [No Studs Flat Top][1/4 Arch] in Green (6528529 | 5649)
• 4x Tile 3 x 3 Curved, Macaroni in Dark Green (6548210 | 79393)

Next some earthy tones in dark orange...

• 2x Plate Special 2 x 3 with Cloud Edge in Dark Orange (6528543 | 5518)
• 2x Panel 2 x 2 x 1 Corner Posts with Centre Stud in Dark Orange (6528544 | 3131)

...and reddish brown:

• 4x Tile 3 x 3 Curved, Macaroni in Reddish Brown (6547793 | 79393)
• 1x Plate Round Corner 5 x 5 with 4 x 4 Round Cutout in Reddish Brown (6528540 | 80015)
• 1x Animal, Hedgehog Baby in Reddish Brown (6471089 | 5153, 106006)

This is the first time for the LEGO® Friends hedgehog element to appear in a set unprinted. The instructions tell us the part is used as a pinecone in the set. I can see the resemblance.

Some dark blue minifigure elements are next:

• 2x Legs Short with Light Nougat Feet Pattern [Multi Color Injection] in Dark Blue (6546099 | 16709pat02)
• 1x Minifig Hipwear Skirt [Plain] in Dark Blue (6540701 | 24782)

It's great to get a larger variety of short minifigure legs as well as a skirt that isn't a shade of pink!

Also, wigs in two styles:

• 1x Hair, Parted Bangs, Ringlets in Reddish Brown (6540710 | 3850)
• 2x Hair Tousled and Spiked Up Very High in Dark Bluish Gray (6540709 | 25411)

 I can see the grey wigs being repurposed as a plume of dark smoke.

And finally, a few miscellaneous items:

• 5x Equipment Pen [Plain] in White (6528545 | 35809)
• 18x Equipment Boomerang in Medium Nougat (6528537 | 25892)

White is only the second single colour for the element. It has previously only been available in Pearl Gold and dual-moulded options. 

New prints

The Shire introduces 4 new printed elements to recreate some of the exterior and interior details of Bag End:

• 10x Tile 2 x 2 Curved, Macaroni with bricks print in Dark Tan (6524415 | 27925)
• 4x Tile 4 x 4 Curved, Macaroni with bricks print in Dark Tan (6524416 | 27507)

• 2x Tile 2 x 4 with Groove with geometric floral design print in Dark Green (6524414 | 87079)
• 2x Tile 2 x 6 with half a rug print in Red (6524413 | 69729)

Some great printed elements, with big potential for re-use! These designs look generic enough to appear on Pick a Brick in the future. Let's hope so, as they could be useful for elements to detail our own modular buildings, especially if you're into 1960s interior design. Even if they don't, with a large number of exclusive figures in the set, which may be appealing for resellers, these prints might not be too hard to come by on the secondary market.

Sticker sheet

Only a few of the details in The Shire are recreated with stickers. This small sticker sheet was packed loose in the box of bagged elements but luckily mine arrived with just a slight crinkle on one corner. 

Even with just 10 stickers, there is a good deal of Easter eggs to talk about; fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy will recognise the note warding off visitors to be pinned on Bilbo's gate (9) and the cover and contents of Bilbo's book (1 & 2). There are also some references to The Hobbit, like the deed of contract presented to Bilbo by Thorin Oakenshield (3), employing Bilbo to burgle Smaug's treasure from the Lonely Mountain – a map of which is also included as a sticker (6). The legendary mithril vest appears once again as a sticker (5); it has appeared in each of the 3 LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings sets.

Minifigures

It seems 9 characters have RSVP'd to Bilbo's birthday invitation. All 9 figures contain at least 1 new element, making them all exclusive to the set.

The hobbits other than Frodo and Rosie, with their recoloured legs (mentioned above with recolours), feature a short legs element that only appear in 2 other sets (the two previous LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings sets):

• 6 x Legs Short with Light Nougat Feet Pattern [Multi Color Injection] in Dark Brown (6417974 | 37679)

Gandalf & Bilbo 

Bilbo receives 2 new prints for his eleventy-first birthday; a new face print and a new torso:

• 1x Minifig Head, Bilbo Light Nougat (6524398 | 28621)
• 1x Torso with print, Bilbo in Dark Red (6545904 | 973) New print

Although his face is mostly obscured by his beard, Gandalf's face print is new. He shares the rest of his body parts with his 10316 Rivendell counterpart:

• 1x Minifig Head with print in Light Nougat (6524411 | 28621)
• 1 x 101658 Neckwear, Cape with One Top Hole, Cutout at Top in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6421474 | 101658)
• 1 x Torso, Robe, Dark Brown Strap, Reddish Brown belt print, Dark Bluish Gray Arms, Light Nougat Hands in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6433881 | 76382)
• 1 x Hips and Legs Under Dress/Robe with Dark Brown Pocket, Reddish Brown Belt print in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6421830 | 101757)

The same printed slope that appears in 10316 Rivendell is also included here to create a sitting version of Gandalf:

• 1 x Slope Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 with Dress/Robe, Dark Brown Patches/Pockets print in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6421845 | 101772)

Frodo & Sam

Yet to feel the burden of The One Ring, Frodo is depicted here with a more innocent and cheerful expression than he has had in his two previous LEGO outings. He also gets a new torso print and a new set of legs in the form of a recoloured element:

• 1x Minifig Head with print in Light Nougat (6524400 | 28621)
• 1x Torso with print, Frodo in Dark Red (6545921 | 973) New print
• 1x Legs Short with Light Nougat Feet Pattern [Multi Color Injection] in Dark Blue (6546099 | 16709pat02) Recolour

Sam Gamgee's head print is reused from his other two appearances in the LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings sets. It is shared with the Percy Weasley figure that was included with the Spellbinding Guide to Hogwarts Houses book. His torso, however is a new print.

• 1 x Minifig Head Percy Weasley / Samwise Gamgee, Raised Eyebrow with Slight Smile / Worried Print in Light Nougat (6383857 | 98031) in 2 other sets
• 1x Torso with print, Sam in Dark Brown (6546611 | 973) New Print

I think the graphic design team has done a wonderful job with Frodo, providing him with an adorable new face print and exquisitely detailed torso. However, I'm not so impressed with Sam. His jacket and shirt seems a bit dull to me even if it matches his on screen attire well enough, and I'm not keen on the choice of cheeky face print used here. I think a warmer and kinder or perhaps concerned design would have suited this character better. 

Merry & Pippin

The mischievous Merry and Pippin receive new printed faces and torsos to represent their outfits as they appear in Bilbo's party in The Fellowship of the Ring. Pippin's hair is available in just 1 other set.

Merry

• 1x Minifig Head with print in Light Nougat (6524405 | 28621)
• 1x Torso with print, Merry in Bright Light Orange (6546361 | 973) New print

Pippin

• 1x Minifig Head with print in Light Nougat (6524404 | 28621)
• 1 x Hair Tousled, Mid-length in Reddish Brown (6002753 & 6417952 | 10048) in 1 other set
• 1x Torso with Print, Pippin in Dark Green (6546732 | 973) New print

The new head prints complement the recoloured wigs mentioned above in the recolours section, to recreate the aftermath of their mishap with Gandalf's fireworks.

Rosie & The Proudfoots 

...or should that be Proudfeet? These characters are all-new, and have never been seen in a The Lord of the Rings LEGO set. 

Sam's wife (to be), Rosie contains a number of rare elements as well as a new printed torso and recoloured legs (the same as Frodo's):

• 1 x Hair Long Tousled with Center Part in Medium Nougat (6527259 | 86368) (6353754 | 37998) (6404476 | 86368) in 1 other set
• 1 x Minifig Head Witch, Dark orange Lips, Stern Smile/Open Mouth Happy in Light Nougat (6486027 | 28621pr9922) in 1 other set
• 1x Torso with Print, Rosie in Blue (6546754 | 973) new print
• 1x Legs Short with Light Nougat Feet Pattern [Multi Color Injection] in Dark Blue (6546099 | 16709pat02) Recolour 

Mr & Mrs Proudfoot get only a snippet of screen time in the movies. They witness Gandalf riding into the Shire and delighting a crowd of hobbit children with an impromptu fireworks display (much to Mrs Proudfoot's annoyance!). Despite their brief appearance, a lot of attention has been put into this pair; they are recreated with a number of new and rare printed elements.

Mr Proudfoot

• 1 x Minifig Head Horace Slughorn, Thick Dark Bluish Gray Eyebrows and Wrinkles, Open Mouth with Teeth / Closed Mouth Print in Light Nougat (6305819 | 68544) in 1 other set
• 1x Torso with Print, Mr Proudfoot Tan (6545924 | 973) New print

Mrs Proudfoot

• 1 x Minifig Head Arthur Weasley, Dark Orange Eyebrows, Nougat Wrinkles, Lopsided Grin/Annoyed in Light Nougat (6491308 | 28621pr4438) in 1 other set
• 1x Torso with print, Mrs Proudfoot in Olive Green (6546163 | 973) New print

What a great selection of figures! Frodo, Sam, Bilbo, Gandalf, Merry, and Pippin are obligatory for a set depicting the Shire but the three extra figures are a nice bonus. The set has been very generous with new decorations; with every figure sporting at least one new element of some kind – and all very faithful to their on screen counterparts. I think the new torso prints will recycle nicely into custom fantasy figures.

Rare elements

We usually categorise rare elements as those appearing in 3 other sets or fewer. There are a lot of parts in The Shire that fit these criteria! Here they are:

The elements appearing in 1 other set are:

• 9 x Wedge Sloped 4 x 2 Triple Left in Dark Green/ Green (6493344 | 43710)
• 7 x Wedge Sloped 4 x 2 Triple Right in Dark Green/ Green (6493345 | 43711)
• 2x Plate Round 1 x 1 with Hollow Stud and Underside Clip in Dark Green/ Green (6527025 | 5264)
• 2 x Wheel Arch, Curved Wedge 4 x 3 with 2 x 2 Opening and 4 Studs in Reddish Brown (6491978 | 47755) 
• 1 x Door 1 x 3 x 1 Right in Reddish Brown (6365884 | 3821)
• 2 x Plate Round Corner 2 x 2 with 1 x 1 Cutout in Reddish Brown (6526059 | 79491)
• 1x Weapon Blade with Spikes and Two Bars in Transparent Bright Orange/ Trans-Orange (6483809 | 23861, 28683)
• 1x Plate Special Round 2 x 2 with Melting Drops on Sides in White (6443905 | 65700)
• 2 x Plate Round Corner 3 x 3 with 2 x 2 Round Cutout in Dark Stone Grey / Dark Bluish Gray (6506037 | 68568)
• 1 x Book Binding with Two Studs in Dark Red (6522565 | 24324, 28684)
• 1 x Book Cover [Plain] in Dark Red (6522536 | 24093, 29167)
• 2 x Equipment Candlestick in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6522274 | 37762)

Notable among these parts is the pair of green wedges; they were last seen in 2003. These elements have been given new element IDs after their long hiatus.

These elements appear in 2 other sets:

• 2x  Creature Body Part, Wing 11 x 6 with 3 Bars, Red Marble pattern in Transparent Bright Orange/ Trans-Orange (6455234, 6510121 | 4899)
• 2 x Plate Round 8 x 8 in Dark Green/ Green (6527830 | 74611)
• 7 x Tile Round 1 x 2 Half Circle in Dark Green/ Green (6493697, 6510079 | 1748)
• 4 x Brick Special Arch 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 Corner in Dark Orange (6517935 | 38585)
• 32 x Plant, Flower Stem with Bottom Bar in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6498565 | 24855)
• 1 x Door 1 x 3 x 1 Left in Reddish Brown (6365883 | 3822)
• 4 Animal Body Part, Horn (Cattle) in Black (6536138 | 64847, 67258)

Here are the elements available in 3 other sets:

• 5 x Brick Special 1 x 2 Rounded with Center Bars in Dark Orange (6526024 | 77808)
• 2 x Plant, Flower Stem with Bar and 6 Stems in Dark Brown (6452882 | 19119)
• 2 x Plate Round Half 3 x 6 with 1 x 2 Cutout in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6484765 | 18646)
• 14 x Plate Special Round 2 x 2 with Center Stud (Jumper Plate) in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6512536 | 18674)
• 8x Plate 1 x 1 x 2/3 Half Round with Side Stud in Brick Yellow/ Tan (6454934 | 3386)
• 4 x Light Cover with Internal Bar / Bionicle Barraki Eye with Hole in Bar in Sand Yellow/ Dark Tan (6484410 | 4278)
• 2 x Bar 3L in Earth Green/ Dark Green (6525789 | 87994)

The build

The finished model is bright, colourful and overall, a pretty accurate recreation of the famous location as it appears on screen. A handful of side builds to recreate Bilbo's birthday party are included, that bump up the play and display value of the set.

All hobbits have a love for things that grow and there's a colourful garden full of flowers and vegetables but the most interesting thing here is the wattle fence made from recoloured boomerangs. The mailbox made from D-SNOTs (3386) is another brilliant parts usage.

Much of the landscaping of the Hobbiton hillside is created with large green elements, which provide some nice shaping while also keeping the part count down. However, some areas are noticeably flat and a little too studded for my taste.

Atop the hobbit hole is a brick-built tree, though it isn't quite the grand oak tree that is described in the books or that appeared in the movies. I can overlook the size, but the symmetry makes it look noticeably unnatural. 

The rear view reveals a well-furnished, cosy interior that is roomy enough to fit at least a few well-wishers, distant relations, and a very old friend.

Behind the iconic green door is an entrance hall furnished with a grand dresser with 'lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats' – Bilbo is usually fond of visitors – and a treasure chest. The recoloured pens in white make brilliant candles; their moulded details represent melted wax very well.

To the right is Bilbo's writing room which features a brick-built desk and small fireplace. I didn't apply stickers for this review and consequently this room looks a little bare without them.

On the opposite wing of Bag End is a room for entertaining guests and the most detailed of the three segments. Again, we have some nicely constructed furniture, the highlight of which is the pair of chairs using the recoloured dark orange elements. 

Also in this room is a fun play feature; the fireplace into which Gandalf casts Bilbo's ring to reveal its true nature as the one to rule them all. A knob at the base flips the contents of the fire between an envelope (a sticker which I didn't apply) and The One Ring.

Bag End is accompanied by a handful of side builds to recreate Bilbo's 111th birthday celebrations, as well as the cart upon which Gandalf is seen riding into the Shire in The Fellowship of the Ring. I owned the original version of Gandalf's cart (set 9469), so seeing this model remade 13 years later with updated parts and techniques provided a wonderful hit of nostalgia.

A table (with cake!), Gandalf's Dragon firework, gazebo, and stage set the scene for Bilbo's birthday party. 

Gandalf's firework is included in 2 forms: the unlit rocket, which is cleverly built from a handful of red elements, and the exploded version that resembles the dragon Smaug; another clever build that uses just a few transparent orange parts. The set also includes an extra black plant stem (19119) to represent the fireworks's charred remains, a bit silly but very fun when combined with the 2 new Merry and Pippin minifigures! 

The stage features a pair of concealed splat gears that turn to recreate Bilbo's vanishing act at the close his birthday party speech. It's a simple but fun idea to represent The One Ring's magic.

The side builds are a bit of a mixed bag. At one end of the spectrum, we have the beautiful printed fabric elements and Gandalf's cart which is a lovely little model of high quality befitting an 18+ LEGO set. At the other end of the spectrum we have this tree standing behind the stage which is so basic in design that it feels like the designer had run out of elements by the time it came to building it.

Closing Thoughts

As a Tolkien fan this was a real treat for me, providing a host of adorable hobbit figures and a pretty faithful LEGO recreation of one of the most iconic locations from the book.

As a LEGO fan I was left mostly satisfied with the set, but a little underwhelmed by the building experience which involved a lot of basic brick stacking and fewer wow moments than the previous LEGO Icons Lord of the Rings sets. I also feel like some areas of the model – in particular the trees and some of the landscaping – weren't as polished as I would expect from an 18+ LEGO set.

10345 The Shire is the least expensive of the 3 Tolkien LEGO Icons sets so far – and by a significant margin. However, 2017 elements for $270 doesn't suggest a particularly good deal, even compared to similar sets from different IPs. 

But there is more to these sets than just a price per part ratio; there's a sentimental value too. In terms of the overall experience, I enjoyed this set more than 10333 Barad-Dûr but it didn't quite meet the high expectations set by 10316 Rivendell. Even so, if you're as big a fan of Middle-earth as I am, you'd be a fool (of a Took!) to pass up this set, especially if you can get it with the Gift with Purchase, Sméagol™ & Déagol™, which I will review next week.

Set 10354 The Shire on LEGO.com
GwP 40761 Sméagol™ & Déagol™on LEGO.com

READ MORE: A new online Create a Minifigure service is being beta tested in the UK – but anyone can try it out

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