Bringing the past to life at Burnham Beeches in Augmented Reality

The City of London Corporation has launched an exciting new augmented reality experience to celebrate the completion of the Beacons of the Past Project at Burnham Beeches. 

The AR experience, which runs in the phone’s browser with no app to download, allows visitors to use their mobile phones or tablet devices to superimpose periods of Burnham Beeches’ history, such as the Iron Age, Middle Ages and World War II when the area was used by the army to hide vehicles before the D-Day landings.  The augmented reality experience also includes sounds which would have been experienced during each period. 

Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, responsible for managing Burnham Beeches, Ben Murphy, welcomed 60 students from Farnham Common Junior School on Wednesday (15 November 2023) to demonstrate the new AR experience, which was well received. 

Those in attendance got to explore the Burnham Beeches’ history using the AR experience, including the Chairman of Burnham Beeches Parish Council, Councillor Marie Hammon, members of the Burnham Beeches Consultative Group and the Chilterns Conservation Board. 

Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Ben Murphy, said:  

“As conservators and trustees of Burnham Beeches, we have a responsibility to help educate the next generation of conservators about why this site is so important as a National Nature Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation”. 

“This new augmented reality app will leverage technology to provide a lasting legacy for the Beacons of the Past Project and will allow visitors to better understand the rich history of Burnham Beeches, now and in the future.” 

The Beacons of the Past project was created by the Chilterns Conservation Board and has been generously funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust, the Chiltern Society, local authorities and the City of London Corporation.   Its aim was to engage and inspire a large, diverse range of people to discover the ancient Iron Age Hillforts. 

The augmented reality experience is accessed via a QR code on signs at Burnham Beeches for visitors, providing easy access to each of the three periods of history. 

Dr Wendy Morrison, Project Manager at Chilterns Conservation Board, said: 

“The Chilterns Conservation Board has been delighted to deliver the Beacons of the Past project thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players and the hard work and dedication of volunteer and partner organisations, such as the City of London Corporation. 

“It is a real treat to see children enjoying some of the project’s work and finding out about the fascinating history of their local area.” 

Burnham Beeches was acquired by the City of London in 1880, in response to a threatened purchase by residential developers. It is managed as a free open space for the public enjoyment and recreation today.   

VRCraftworks built the AR experience for the City of London’s Burnham Beeches, working with the National Trust and the Chilterns Conservation Board. It is still live. Find out more about our AR for heritage sites and visitor attractions.