A COLLECTION of historic maps of Dorset have fetched more than £21,000 after going under the hammer in Dorchester.

The collection accrued over a 40-year period by Edward Gillis from Poole included maps dating back to the 16th century.

The prize piece at the auction at Duke’s was a Christopher Saxton map of the county that was published in the first ever printed set of maps detailing the counties of England and Wales in 1579.

With internet bidders and telephone bidders from across Europe vying for the 400-year-old map, it eventually sold to a local private collector for £5,124, more than three times its estimate.

An 18th century map by cartographer Isaac Taylor also sold for nearly £3,000.

Duke’s auctioneer Matthew Denney said: “This is a magnificent collection, the perseverance and dedication required to amass so many different maps of Dorset is quite remarkable.

“The collection sold for just over £21,200 and was one of the most thorough and complete collections of maps of Dorset that has ever been compiled.”