History fans will soon be able to take a virtual “journey through time” to see what a West Yorkshire town was like in the Roman era, a council has said.
The Roman Castleford Uncovered project will allow people to use smartphones or tablets to visit the town’s bath house and fort as they were 2,000 years ago – and also see Roman objects and interact with a virtual Roman soldier.
Castleford was established as a fort and important crossing point of the River Calder in the 1st Century and was a major Roman settlement until the 4th Century.
A Wakefield Council spokesperson said: “This exciting project showcases the town’s Roman history, focusing on the archaeological collections in our museums.”
Councillor Hannah Appleyard, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member of culture, leisure and sport, said: “It will be online and accessible via smartphones or tablet devices, so people will be able to explore Roman Castleford from their own home.”
The Roman Castleford Uncovered scheme was a collaboration between digital specialists One to One Development Trust, Castleford Civic Society and Castleford Heritage Trust and used “cutting-edge gaming technology”, a council spokesperson said.
Judi Alston, creative director of One to One Development Trust, said: “It is a wonderful opportunity to bring objects from the museum collections from behind glass cases into the digital world where they can be explored in close detail through playful creativity and a range of technologies.”
The project is part of the Our Heritage Our Stories project, which is funded by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Roman Castleford Uncovered, which is free, is due to be launched on Saturday 13 September at the Queen’s Mill heritage centre, according to Wakefield Council.