Geoheritage vs Museum Without Walls

Geoheritage explores the geology, coal and iron mining heritage of the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. The app includes introductions to the rocks beneath the Forest, how the rocks of the Forest formed over 500 million years of Earth history and the unique ancient tradition of Freemining for minerals. These themes are developed in a number of walks which explore further the rocks and geoheritage of this unique and fascinating area located between the rivers Severn and Wye. The content for the walks you select can be downloaded into the app allowing the walks to used offline. You may also delete walks when no longer required and receive updates as new ones are added. Each walk includes a large scale detailed map, with the route and points of interest marked. GPS continually shows your current location along the route and triggers information as you enter areas of interest. The maps include a geology map of the area, with information about the origins and age of the rock beneath your feet. The map shows the location of former mines, tramways, railways and past industrial activity. 3D sectional diagrams of the landscape, show your current position and how the rocks beneath you have been folded and faulted by past tectonic events.

The app has been developed as part of the Heritage Lottery funded project Foresters’ Forest Landscape Partnership scheme. The principle content contributor to the app has been the Gloucestershire Geology Trust.

Visitors can download the app and explore the town from one AR-enabled location to the next, experiencing key areas of Ross-on-Wye and viewing them as they once were. The town and surrounding areas are steeped in history, with stories to tell about its market, its famous ‘Prospect’ area with a fountain that required water to be pumped up 150ft from the River Wye, and the Wye itself with some of the world’s first tourist boat tours. Download the free app to see all of this and more in magical AR.