A Wellington-born dad has returned to his Shropshire roots to launch a series of fantasy-themed treasure maps for children.
Daniel Johnson is the founder of Treasure Map Trails, creating hand drawn treasure maps of real towns with make-believe makeovers.
His latest map is set around Shrewsbury Castle, with treasure hunts from Shrewsbury’s Quarry, Ironbridge and Bridgnorth coming soon.
The new Shrewsbury map plots a treasure hunt from the castle grounds to the public library, heading to St Mary’s and Saint Alkmund’s churches, before returning to Pride Hill.
Along the way families are challenged to spot ‘treasures’ using illustrated clues, which are based on historical features found throughout the town.
To add excitement to the adventure, Shrewsbury has been transformed with an Alien Invasion theme featuring laser-toting aliens, UFOs, little green men and relaxing robots.
Adding the illustrated element is crucial to the map’s success, says Daniel. “The themes are there to grab children’s attention and get them excited about taking a walk around town and spotting things they would never normally look for.
“It’s a great family activity and throws in a little local history along the way.
“The idea for Treasure Map Trails came during lockdown, when I was thinking of things I’d like to do with my own kids”
The Shrewsbury Castle map is available from the Treasure Map Trails website (https://treasuremaptrails.com) from £4.99.
