The Forest of Dean’s heritage is no longer a fading memory.

Through the power of amazing imagery, the Hidden Heritage of the Dean iOS and Android app reveals the area’s rich industrial past that was in danger of being lost forever.

In 2015 Audio Trails was commissioned by a group of passionate local historians with a life-long love of the area’s gritty past to develop an app. Bob Smith was one of those Foresters,

“As an eight year old I used to wonder around the Forest looking for signs of its mining and rail past. I felt strongly for the last 20 years that our real heritage was being obliterated, hidden and lost in pursuit of the Forest being turned into an adventure park.”

With the help of an interactive 1920s Ordnance Survey map, the GPS-triggered app guides visitors along the Forest of Dean’s ‘Family cycle trail’ – the former Severn and … Read More »

The Ashdown Forest Explorer iOS app is the essential guide to exploring the home of Winnie-the-Pooh.

Ashdown Forest is the largest public access space in the South East of England, attracting at least 1.5 million visitors a year.  On account of its heathland and populations of many rare species, it is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  It also lies at the heart of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is ‘home’ to one of the world’s most famous fictional creatures, Winnie-the-Pooh.

Despite this, visitors often find it difficult to orientate themselves when they arrive at any of the 44 car parks located across the Forest’s 10 square miles.

The Ashdown Forest Explorer iOS app locates you in the Forest and offers ten walking trails to help you explore all corners of the Forest. Why not follow in the footsteps of Pooh, visit the Airman’s Grave or … Read More »

Walk through the centuries at Rufford Abbey.

Rufford Abbey is the best-preserved remains of a Cistercian abbey west cloister range in England, dating mainly from around 1170. It was later incorporated into part of a 17th century mansion, set in the beautiful grounds of what is now Rufford Country Park.

Use the iOS and Android apps to explore some of Rufford’s hidden history as you walk around the modern day country park.

You can play our Tree Trail iSpy game and take a unique souvenir photo of your visit using one of our special photo frames. The app also contains a timeline picture gallery.

“I was initially a bit nervous about commissioning a phone app to help visitors explore the history of our site.  I feared being confused by technobabble. To my relief, Dan didn’t overwhelm me with smartphone and developer jargon. He explained the development … Read More »

The reservoirs and surrounding landscape of the South Pennines provide a fantastic place for recreation and wildlife. These reservoirs also have a fascinating history that you can discover when you download the FREE South Pennines Reservoirs Trails app.
UPDATE:

For 2016 the app has been given a visual overhaul and two new trails have been added.

Google Play review:

Excellent app, great to see support for these areas. I enjoy doing some of these walks around moorland reservoirs and this app is a fantastic addition to the experience and will also open up new area for me to explore. 5/5 top marks and thank you to the people with the vision to create this.

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Features

The app is based upon our Welcome to app software and includes an interactive GPS map, walking trails and … Read More »

The Archaeological Way is an 11-mile multi-user trail between Pleasley Pit Country Park and Creswell Crags.

The new location-aware iOS and Android Archaeological Way app lets you explore the history of a changing limestone landscape. The underlying geology of Permian Magnesian Limestone has helped create the landscape you’ll discover. Grasslands, farmland and woodlands are crossed by small streams which carved gorges and vales, such as Creswell Crags and Pleasley Vale. Disused railway lines and old colliery sites are transformed into trails and country parks. Shirebrook Wood, Poulter and Pleasley Pit country parks are now havens for wildlife.

Local Derbyshire firm Audio Trails worked with Bolsover Countryside Partnership and Limestone Journeys to develop the app, which features an offline map, audio interviews with local people and public artworks commissioned as part of the project. The app also includes a field guide to the areas flora and fauna, compiled by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

‘I’d like to … Read More »