[C]arlisle is one of twelve of England’s historic cities which have collaborated to develop an innovative augmented reality (AR) product that brings heritage to life.
The app and videos transports the user back in time to unveil the hidden lives of some of history’s most fascinating characters.
The app captures significant historic moments in time whilst providing tourists the opportunity to explore England’s most historic cities. It uses cutting-edge technology to give the historical moments a fresh perspective and make history’s fascinating characters come to life.
The app ‘England’s Historic Cities’ is available to download for free in Google Play and on the app store or find out more by visiting www.discovercarlisle.co.uk
It transforms the way visitors experience our heritage and creates a more appealing way to engage the more technologically motivated and younger audience. It also hopes to encourage return visitors by offering the opportunity to experience an attraction in a different way. In a rapidly changing and competitive tourist environment, the use of AR technology will offer a point of difference that will attract visitors and showcase the best of the city.
In Carlisle, the AR experience takes the user back to the Roman Cavalry occupation of the city. Visitors will be able to look at artefacts in Tullie House Museum’s award winning Roman Gallery and instead be transported to the world of a Roman Cavalry Officer’s wife living in the Roman fort ‘Luguvallium’. They will see for themselves and learn through the app how Carlisle offered all the delights of the Roman Empire, how they brought goods and the Roman way of life to the very edge of Empire, the border and Hadrian’s Wall. All while standing in the very spot, where the history happened.
Carlisle City Cllr Anne Quilter, Portfolio holder for Culture, Heritage and Leisure said: “This is a really exciting project which promotes Carlisle to a global audience. Our rich Roman history will be brought to life and will draw even more visitors to Tullie House’s Roman Gallery. Download the App and step into Carlisle’s past.”
England’s Heritage Cities cover the length and breadth of England, from Canterbury to Durham and Salisbury to Carlisle. They offer diverse experiences and all of them are well-connected via rail, making it easy for tourists to travel to more than one at a time.
The exciting new project is one of a number of projects to benefit from the by the £40 million Discover England Fund – a central government funded programme of activity administered by VisitEngland supported by match-funding from private and public partners.