Cutting-edge technology is being used to help bring one of the nation’s oldest and most historically significant buildings to life for visitors. Auckland Castle at Bishop Auckland was home to the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham for nearly 900 years until passing into the hands of a private charitable trust in 2012.
Now open to the public regularly for the first time as the North East’s newest heritage and arts attraction, innovative and interactive mobile and touch screen applications are being employed to help visitors engage with not just the history of the ancient County Durham stronghold, but the compelling stories of the bishops who helped shape the region and the nation.
Featuring vivid interactive 3D reconstructions allowing the viewer to be whisked back through nearly 10 centuries of change and development, alongside trails opening up the site’s many evocative spaces and stories, the ground-breaking tools are a collaboration between Auckland Castle’s curatorial team and the University of York’s Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture. While the centre has worked with many churches and cathedrals, including Durham and York, as well as education providers around the world, this is the first time they have used this trailblazing technology in an independently run heritage attraction like Auckland Castle.
The app, which is available to download to both smartphones and iPad, is designed to encourage visitors, especially children and young people, to engage more fully in Auckland Castle’s fascinating story. Special touchscreens have also been installed in many rooms where children can turn detective to delve deeper into the castle’s past. The app took 12 months to develop and one of its most impressive features is the 3D interpretation of the chapel which, via touchable hotspots, takes the user back to the 12th century when the building was originally the Prince Bishops’ grand banqueting hall.
Dr Chris Ferguson, head curator at Auckland Castle, said, “All too often the past is presented as dry and boring. But we see this app as a great way of inspiring visitors with modern technology.
“We are creating a more dynamic, engaging and interactive way for visitors to connect with 10 centuries of the castle’s history.”
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
