Welcome to Yorkshire worked with the Turner Society and the University of Leeds to produce the Turner Trail, an interactive series of maps and podcasts which guide visitors around 76 interpreted sites. Training for over 50 volunteers and staff at these sites helped explain the inspiration behind some of Turner’s best loved paintings.

A mixture of panels, downloadable PDFs, audio tours, podscrolls and children’s activity sheets supplemented traditional interpretation boards, plaques and benches to tell the full Turner story. Visitors can use the app and website to plan walking or cycling routes between the sites. The project boosted the local tourist economy with several private initiatives starting guided Turner-themed walks. The project ensured heritage would be better managed by building co-operation between site owners.

Vikki Harris, Head of Marketing said, “The original intention was that benches and/or interpretation panels were to be located at all sites as close to the viewpoint where Turner stood as possible. In reality Turner’s exact sketching position was invariably inaccessible. It became apparent that changing the project to embrace a broad range of digital media would move Turner’s work into the 21st century, modernise the image of Yorkshire and encourage new audiences to experience Yorkshire’s art heritage.”

For more information, visit the Turner Trail website.