A MAN is bringing some of the magic and mythology of Middle Earth to Sussex in two Lord of the Rings inspired maps.
Chris Birse from Darlington was initially writing a fantasy novel and chose to create a map to accompany it. Having enjoyed the process, he did one for his home region of Teesside which was well received.
Now, he has made maps of almost every county in the UK, saving West and East Sussex until last.
Chris said the response and positive reaction from Sussex residents had been immense.
He said: “I’ve had about 1,500 comments across social media, with local people suggesting features you wouldn’t necessarily pick up on through Google.
“I’ve been told about a lot of the mythology in Sussex - the legends you guys have down there is amazing.
“I’ve been told about dragons called knuckers, UFOs, witches, ghosts, all sorts - which is brilliant.”
Some of the features included on the West Sussex map include the St Leonards Dragon, the county’s range of castles and forts, and a pterodactyl flying over Goodwood Aerodrome.
Chris said he had been told about so many shipwrecks scattered off the Sussex coast that he had to scale down mapping all of them.
“I could easily fill the sea with them,” he joked.
He also said that residents of Chichester had suggested so much about the city’s historic and mythology that he wasn’t able to include everything.
“It’s just a bit too much in there, I’m afraid, so I can’t get everything in,” he said.
Chris has been adding the finishing touches to his map of West Sussex, and said he expects the project to have taken 100 hours to complete.
This week, Chris is starting his work on mapping East Sussex’s mythology and called on residents to share their local knowledge with him on social media.
His completed maps of both East and West Sussex will be available to purchase, along with his previous maps, on his Etsy as well as on Facebook.
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