How big was Rivendale?

[Earniel]

Originally posted by Falagar
'Rivendell' actually sounds a little Norwegian: Riven-revet (Norwegian for cloven) and dell-dal (Norwegian for valley)

The first time I read the name Rivendell, I unconciously translated it to 'Rivierdal' ( Dutch for Rivervalley) That's still my image of Rivendell.

I always pictured Rivendell as a group of many houses with one large in the middle, that of Elrond. But in my mind the houses are so connected with little gardens, archways and corridors that they nearly form one entity, the Last Homely House. I never pictured it to have more than around 250 inhabitants.