Centuries old map of Shropshire going on show

Here's Shropshire as you've probably never seen it before.

This unusual 17th century map of Shropshire featured in a collection of songs and poems praising the beauty of England and Wales is to go on display this week near Bucknell.

The beautiful map featured in Elizabethan poet Michael Drayton's opus Poly-Olbion, produced around 1620.

The work contained a series of songs and poems accompanied by a set of allegorical maps in which rivers were represented by nymphs, hills by shepherds, forests by huntresses and cities by crowned female figures.

It is going on show at Aardvark Books in Brampton Bryan. Co-owner of Aardvark, Sheridan Swinson, said they now have more than 60 maps on show at the exhibition.

He said: "It's a beautiful map. The lady representing Ludlow is pictured wearing the town's castle upon her head and all the rivers have been given characters as well."

Another unusual map of the county shows Ludlow, Church Stretton and Wenlock Edge in Cyrillic script.

At the height of the Cold War, the map was produced by Soviet generals as part of a planned Russian invasion of Britain.

The bookshop has more than 60 Shropshire maps on show during the exhibition. For further details call (01547) 530888.