Visitors to Segedunum Roman Fort can use their own smartphones to unlock the history hidden beneath the streets of Wallsend.
A brand-new immersive reality experience called Meet The Romans has been installed and is free to access, without paying for entry to the museum.
Using the latest digital technology, visitors can watch the Roman Barracks and Romans that lived there 1,900 years ago reappear around them in accurate detail.
Segedunum Roman Fort is the gateway to Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site. Across the road is the site of the Roman infantry barracks that housed the 480 infantry soldiers who lived in the fort.
The six barracks were excavated between 1975 - 1984, but their remains were covered over to protect them. Today only the bare outlines are marked out on the ground.
By scanning the QR codes on the site, visitors can watch history spring to life as they experience a 360° view of the barracks using cutting-edge immersive reality developed by MAADIGITAL.
By moving their phone screen, visitors can look around and click on archaeological replicas to learn more. They will meet an avatar Roman officer Vanius Gratus as they arrive for their first day as an infantry soldier, follow in the footsteps of Roman infantrymen and visit their living quarters.
Meet The Romans is part of the Town and High Streets Innovation Programme; funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund through the North of Tyne Combined Authority and is now administered by the North East Combined Authority.
It is part of North Tyneside Council’s Ambition for Wallsend, creating a vibrant and connected town that is attractive to residents, visitors and employers.
Geoff Woodward, Museum Manager North and South Tyneside from North East Museums, said: “We are delighted to be launching Meet The Romans at Segedunum Roman Fort, using the latest digital technology to recreate the former barracks for our visitors.
“They will be able to see how soldiers lived on the northern frontier of the Roman Empire in AD 180.
“Our keeper of archaeology has worked closely with the designers at MAADIGITAL to ensure that every detail is historically accurate.
“Meet The Romans is a fantastic addition to our visitor offer at Segedunum, which is the most accessible excavated fort on Hadrian’s Wall.”
Vix Hunter from MAADIGITAL said: “Creating this immersive reality experience has been a real labour of love for our designers. They have worked in painstaking detail, allowing visitors to experience the Roman barracks through different clickable points on their smartphones.
“The imagery has been scanned from the barracks at Arbeia Roman Fort in South Shields to ensure it is accurate. Using a technique called photogrammetry, we have scanned and photographed artefacts from Arbeia and Segedunum including heavy stone mill wheels, pots and cups.
“Our Roman avatar officer Vanius Gratus is an Optio, a second in command to the Centurion. He was brought to life by local actor Steve Walls, through a technique called performance capture where we capture every aspect of Steve’s performance even down to when he blinks, ensuring the avatar feels lifelike, expressive, and welcoming.”
Councillor Carl Johnson, Deputy Mayor for North Tyneside and cabinet member responsible for Regeneration, Culture and Economic Development said: “Segedunum Roman Fort is a vital asset for Wallsend and we are committed to working with our partners at North East Museums to help unlock the huge untapped potential of this World Heritage Site.
“As part of our ambitious plans for Wallsend, we want to increase the visitor numbers to Segedunum, bringing in a national and international audience including families, schools, cruise passengers, and walkers and cyclists using the busy Hadrian’s Wall routes.
“This is in addition to the work we are doing to improve the high street, support local businesses, upgrade housing and update transport infrastructure, helping to make Wallsend a great place to live, work and visit.”
North Tyneside residents with an NE28 postcode can enjoy unlimited FREE admission to Segedunum Roman Fort and Museum.
Adult tickets are currently £7.75 / £5.50 concessions, and Season Tickets £29 / £20. Young people aged 21 years and under go free.