‘Discover Northallerton’ through an augmented reality tour!
Now there’s a new way to take a look into the past as you explore North Yorkshire’s County Town, guided by the ‘Discover Northallerton’ app in the palm of your hand.
Discover more about the heritage of Northallerton and uncover hidden stories of fascinating people, places and events that shaped this historic market town through the centuries.
We took a trip to the busy market town of Northallerton on a windy Wednesday in the Easter holidays, and followed the Autumnfest trail with the Mowbrees, enjoying the sights as we watered Tinker Mowbree’s veggie patch near the phone box, threw conkers in Applegarth Park, searched for treats hiding in pumpkins in Zetland Street, and danced with the twins, Violet and Spike Mowbree, by the pedestrian crossing!
The introduction to the trail explains that ‘For centuries, people in Yorkshire have told stories about a group of magical creatures called Hobs. They love to be helpful and can often be found lending a hand in farmers’ fields, cleaning people’s homes, and doing lots of other useful jobs…but beware, they’re also fond of a good prank.’ The Mowbrees are introduced after clicking on the question mark on the main screen, with comical lists of likes and dislikes to bring their characters to life.
My daughter, aged nearly nine, loved the excitement of the augmented reality at each stop. She blew me away with her paragraph she wanted me to include in this blog!
“Unveil the untold as you explore Northallerton town's past. Can you discover this wonderful secret with the cheeky Hobs' help? Find the treat in the pumpkin or face a terrible trick. The trail will follow curves and turns as you delve deep into the unknown and reveal the Hobs' life.”
The GPS-enabled map is clear and easy to follow and the little arrow moves with you as you head towards the next feature; a must for anyone who can’t go anywhere without satnav, like me! Augmented reality is cleverly used to bring the Mowbrees to life before your very eyes with an engaging game at each stop, accompanied by exciting music to capture the interest of your children.
Subtle links to the history of the town are included, such as Tinker Mowbree, a prison guard, collecting up his keys near the former site of the town prison. This is now home to the Everyman Cinema, should you wish to stop to fit in a film en route!
It was at the prison site that we took a short break to read about Sophia Constable, taking in the story of the youngest prisoner at the jail, locked away for stealing a loaf of bread. The historic trail in the Discover Northallerton app contains more information about Sophia’s story at the click of an icon on the map.
At the far end of the trail, there’s a stop in the churchyard of All Saints’ Church with a quick game with the Mowbree twins, and heading out into Applegarth Park for another stop, there’s an opportunity for a quick play on the equipment. It was a bit cold and windy when we were there; we needed the augmented reality to help us with the unpredictable March weather!
On the way down Barker’s Arcade to the park, there’s a gorgeous chocolate shop, Beau Cocoa, selling a whole range of sweet treats including chocolates made in Yorkshire. Just across the High Street, you will also find Lewis and Cooper, a world-renowned gourmet food emporium, packed with local delicacies and gastronomic delights! There’s a tea room for a cup of Yorkshire tea and a piece of fruit cake, too. In Yorkshire, we often have cheese with our fruit cake – do you?
The quintessential market town of Northallerton is a pretty place for photography with a variety of buildings and stopping points. There’s also a feature in the app that enables screenshots to be taken and shared so you can nestle alongside the characters and capture photos of each other joining in the fun!
‘Portals into the Past’ entitles the second trail, which is packed with information about the history of the town and we had chance to have a little look, but would love to return another day to take in the details of the trail. Here you can uncover Northallerton’s hidden stories of fascinating people, places and events, including the Town Hall and Shambles, the Rutson Hospital, Register House, and the original site of Northallerton Grammar School before it moved to Grammar School Lane and then became Northallerton College. This would be a great trail for schools to use as part of a local history project.
To access the app, visit the App Store and search for ‘Discover Northallerton’ then you’re a few clicks away from a journey through local history in one of North Yorkshire’s finest locations!
Top tips to get the best out of your trails:
· Download the content for each trail before you leave the availability of WiFi. There’s an option through the app to join the free North Yorkshire WiFi, if you forget.
· If you have enough devices, having one each makes it easier for everyone to take part. Headphones are recommended, too.
· Set out with a full battery on your device and have a charging pack with you so you don’t run out of power part-way round!
· Be ready to move your phone around to find the images while people are passing by!
· Allow 45 minutes, which is suggested in the app and is about right. If you stop to play in the park or pop into a shop, this might take a bit longer but there’s no limit.
Accessibility:
· There’s plenty of parking around the town centre in Northallerton, with pay machines for both the carparks and high street parking. You can also use a parking disc to park without charge on some of the outlying streets. We parked free for two hours on Romanby Road.
· The trails follow the map over flat and mostly even surfaces with crossings nearby for safe access to each focal point.
· We spotted an accessible toilet in a shop unit at one end of the High Street. This is an excellent resource for the town.
· Being in the town centre means easy access to shops and cafes for a pitstop, should you need one!
Make a break of it!
If you’re staying in the area, or holidaying at home, there are lots of other places to visit in and around Northallerton. Here are a few top picks:
· Try Daisy Doodle Paint a Pot Parlour in Garthway Arcade for a fun pottery painting experience.
· Take a dip at Northallerton Leisure Centre where there’s a pool with flumes and a wave machine.
· Enjoy a day at Thirsk Races or Catterick Races in the summer months.
· Let off steam at Crazy Kingdom for soft play in Northallerton itself, or Temple Fun, just down the road in Leeming.
· Visit Kingpin Bowl in Elder Road where you can eat, drink, bowl and play.
· Further afield, you can enjoy a day out at Studfold Adventure Trail, Thorp Perrow Arboretum, or Forbidden Corner, or a quiet walk around Cod Beck Reservoir at Osmotherly.
The White Horse on Sutton Bank, just outside Thirsk, is another interesting place to walk, with amazing views over the surrounding area and gliders swooping onto the airfield at the top of the bank. Whilst in Thirsk a visit to the World of James Herriot might also be worth adding to your list.
*Sponsored blog for North Yorkshire Council, written by local Mumbler, Rachel Mackay, and daughter, Fern!