New Augmented Reality story trail brings Lichfield’s fascinating history to life

Characters from Lichfield’s rich history are bursting to tell their stories through a new, free, Augmented Reality story trail experience in the city.

The Lichfield Time Travellers App invites you to take a walk through the city’s streets meeting historical figures including Dr Samuel Johnson, poet Anna Seward, scientist and inventor Dr Erasmus Darwin, actor David Garrick and more. All you need is a smartphone.

At each of a dozen locations Time Portals can be opened by scanning the area around you and a figure from Lichfield’s past is pulled through to tell their story.

Meet Dr Johnson’s faithful friend and manservant, Francis Barber, as he arrives to go fishing in his adopted city and St Chad of Mercia, the first Bishop of Lichfield, who is returning following a long trek.

Each figure appears in the street before you and leaves behind a time crystal containing an artefact for you to collect as you progress.

It’s easy to enjoy the Lichfield Time Traveller’s AR experience. Start by downloading the app to your iOS device here and Android device here or by searching for Lichfield Time Travellers in the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

Once the app is downloaded, you’ll enjoy a short introduction before a live map launches to help you navigate the trail.

Councillor Iain Eadie, Lichfield District Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Development: said:

“The new Lichfield Time Travellers app is a fun and interesting way of exploring the city’s historic streets and learning about its historic figures.

“It features a map of the city centre to navigate to the 12 Time Portal locations and there is a variety of artefacts to collect. Happy hunting time travellers!”

Peter Gardom, Director at app developers this great adventure, said:

“Lichfield is an amazing city and Lichfield Time Travellers has been a really exciting project to undertake.

“The great team at Lichfield District Council/Visit Lichfield knew what they wanted, but it hadn’t ever really been done before in this context or on this scale.

“With our great partners, Four Door Productions, this project was an amazing opportunity to push the limits of what these new 3D, interactive and location-based technologies can do to bring stories and history to life across a dynamic heritage environment.

“It is great to work with local partners to design and develop new creative opportunities and pathways for future interpretation, engagement, and creative placemaking.”

This project is among of many the council has funded through money allocated from The Welcome Back Fund, £185,002 received from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Fund’s Growth Programme 2014-2020 .

The Government’s Ministry of Levelling up, Communities and Housing is the managing authority for European Regional Development Fund.

Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, business, the creation of jobs and local community regeneration.