Ipswich residents and visitors can now experience the town’s rich history as never before, thanks to the launch of six new augmented and virtual reality binoculars installed at key historic locations across the town.
The first pair was unveiled to invited guests at a launch event held today (Friday 9 January) in Christchurch Park, whilst others across Ipswich were also uncovered soon afterwards.
These immersive devices allow users to travel back in time to view Victorian Ipswich, with images and sounds that shift throughout the day and into the evening, ensuring every viewing experience is slightly different. Looking through the lenses reveals a long-ago town of contrasts - innovation and tradition side by side - complete with gas-lit streets, bustling markets, electric trams, working docks and everyday life from the 1890s.
The free-to-use binoculars were commissioned by Ipswich Borough Council and are located across the town centre and the Waterfront, encouraging exploration while bringing Ipswich’s heritage vividly to life. The technology requires no smartphone, downloads or sign-ups and has been designed to be accessible for users of all ages and abilities, with eyepieces set at different heights.
The six locations, and the themes they reveal, are:
- Christchurch Park – 1,000 Years of Tranquillity
- Ipswich Cornhill – Heart of a Victorian Town
- Buttermarket – Centuries of Trade and Street Life
- Pauls Silo – The Head of the Dock
- Customs House – Gateway to a Thriving Port
- James Hehir Building – Site of Medieval Shipbuilding
At the launch event, Councillor Neil MacDonald, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council, said:
“Congratulations go to everyone who made this happen. Unique content has been developed with generous donations of time, resources and expertise and we thank them all for their contributions.
“Photographs from the Ipswich Maritime Trust’s Image Archive helped inform what you’ll see through the binoculars. Members of the Ipswich Maritime Trust, the Historic Towns Trust, the town’s Tourist Guide Association and other knowledgeable members of the public shared their expertise on the history of Ipswich to help guide the designs and keep them accurate.
“Our partners at the AR/VR technology agency Zubr have been involved in the project at every step, providing both the hardware and software, designing the content, and ensuring these amazing virtual reality binoculars are a fantastic addition to Ipswich.
“They currently let you glimpse a part of our past, but new content will be added over time – maybe even letting us look into the future.”
Stuart Grimwade, creator of the Ipswich Maritime Trust’s Image Archive, said:
“Ipswich is fortunate that in Victorian times there were local pioneer photographers whose early images have survived to give us a window on their world, so that we can use them now in digital ways that they couldn’t have imagined. The project is a wonderful way of bringing the town’s history to life.”
This project forms part of Digital Ipswich, funded through the UK Government’s Towns Fund, and positions Ipswich as the first town in the UK to offer this type of immersive, street-based augmented reality experience free to the public.
The custom-built binoculars build on a growing programme of digital placemaking, using technological innovations to modernise Ipswich’s town centre with interactive and inclusive experiences. Last October saw the successful switch-on of the first-ever Portal in the United Kingdom, the fifth live Portal worldwide, in Ipswich’s historic Cornhill. This followed the summer launch of a third AR self-guided walking trail developed by Digital Ipswich. Offering residents and visitors a unique way to discover the town’s rich literary, creative and cultural heritage, The Ipswich Journey of Words is available for free on the award-winning Go Jauntly app.
An interactive map showing where the new binoculars can be found around town, together with information on each of the six locations and their historical context, is now available online at https://allaboutipswich.com/digital-ipswich/