THIS line drawing depicts a scene from some of Berkshire's most treasured folk tales gathered together in a new book.

The original drawings, by illustrator Sue White, accompany more than 30 stories in Berkshire Folk Tales, which was released earlier this month.

The book documents the journey of a group of antiquaries - lovers of history and the past - from Reading around the historic county of Berkshire in 1899. They share stories and were told tales by the locals they met during their travels.

While the journey is fictional, the tales are real and have been researched and written by David England, from Maidenhead, and Tina Bilbe, from Reading, both members of the Society For Storytelling.

Mr England said: "The line drawings are a fantastic addition to the book, they really are very good.

"Some of these stories are thousands of years old, passed down through the generations until someone took the trouble to write them down. We researched the stories to find their true origins."

The stories take place throughout Berkshire, including the tale of King James I and the Tinker in Bracknell, in the 1600s, the murder of Thomas Cole of Reading at the infamous Ostrich Inn, in Colnbrook, in the 110s, and the siege of Newbury Castle by King Stephen in the 12th century.

Berkshire Folk Tales is published by The History Press and is available online at www.thehistorypress.co.uk or www.berkshirefolktales.co.uk for �9.99.