Elsecar Heritage Centre launches a new interactive trail for young visitors 

On Wednesday 31 July, Elsecar Heritage Centre  launched a new interactive trail designed by teenagers for young people. The self-guided digital trail will run throughout the summer holidays and offer a fun and engaging way to learn about Elsecar’s rich heritage. 

 ’Echoes through time: an Elsecar story’ is led by time travellers Kit and Echo, played by Aston and Joel from Netherwood school. Through the interactive trail, which can be accessed through a smart phone, young people will journey through key moments in Elsecar’s history, uncovering stories and meeting characters from Elsecar’s past in their quest to find the ‘black diamond’. Along the way they will discover a series of key dates and significant numbers relating to Elsecar and use these to crack the code at the end of the trail. 

 The trail has been developed by the Next Big Thing, Barnsley Museums young creatives group. The talented young people co-wrote the script, working with artists Gemma Whelan and Becky Newbould (WE Great Ladies) and play a variety of parts in a series of short films which make up the innovative trail. 

 The group immersed themselves in the history of Elsecar by visiting Barnsley Archives and interviewing Councillor Mick Stowe, a former apprentice at the National Coal Board. This research gave them valuable insights into important moments in the villages past and was inspiration for content for the films. 

 The trail marks the 40th anniversary of the Miner’s strike and explores the impact of the strike on local communities as well as referencing other key moments such as the visit of the King and Queen in 1912 and the building of the 18th century Newcomen Engine which pumped mine water at Elsecar and remains the only one of its kind still standing in its original location. 

 Aston, actor who plays Kit, said: “I really enjoyed working on this project and learning more about Elsecar’s history. It was fun to act in different roles and to create a trail that other young people can enjoy. I hope they will find it interesting and exciting. The whole team have been incredible to work with and I am really proud of all their hard work.” 

 Gemma Whelan, one of the artists from We Great Ladies, said: “We are very proud of the work that the young creatives have done on this project. They have shown great enthusiasm, creativity and talent in developing the script and the films for the trail. They have also gained valuable skills and experience in working with heritage, archives and digital media.” 

Cllr Robin Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson in charge of Regeneration and Culture, said: “What an incredible way to showcase Elsecar’s history in a new and innovative way. It is great way for us to work alongside young people to create something that will inspire and educate while being entertaining at the same time.  It’s an exciting time for Elsecar and we have ambitions to make it a world class visitor destination based on its heritage and unique offer.” 

 The project has been made possible thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the ‘Building Bridges’ project and has also been supported by Creative Minds and Arts Council England. 

The trail is free and most suitable for ages 10 and above. It will run from Wednesday 31 July to Sunday 1 September, from 10am to 4pm daily. Visitors can collect a trail map from the visitor centre and use their own devices to scan QR codes and watch the films. 

 For more information, visit www.elsecar-heritage.com