Discover your Much Wenlock this Easter weekend

Residents and visitors to Shropshire will soon have a new way to explore the county and its historical treasures. 

With the help of funding from Arts Council England and the Rural Development Programme for England, Shropshire Council has been working with local company Orangeleaf Systems to create a new app for the expanding smart phone market. 

The Discover My Shropshire app helps people to make the most of county places and trails by linking to images, videos and information. 

People can scan Quick Recognition (QR) codes to find out more about their location, enjoy challenges and rewards, and share their experiences through their Facebook profile. 

Tests have begun, and residents and visitors have the chance to experiment with the app in its early form in Much Wenlock during the Easter weekend. 

From Good Friday (6 April 2012) to Easter Monday (9 April 2012), QR codes will be placed in locations along the Much Wenlock Olympian Trail, and people are urged to tell the council what they think. 

Mike Owen, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for tourism and culture, said:

“Shropshire is rich in heritage and history, with many beautiful and interesting places to explore.  This technology will add to the many opportunities that are available to enjoy the landscape. 

“I would like to say thank-you to the Arts Council England and the Rural Development Programme for England for helping to make this innovative project possible.” 

Martin Taylor Smith, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for ICT, said:

“The council is working to be as innovative as possible to deliver services in the best and most efficient way for our residents and visitors. 

“By embracing these new technologies, we can help people to be more active and share their enjoyment of Shropshire with their friends through social media. 

“At the same time, they enable us to provide historical and tourist information in areas where signage would be expensive to maintain and would detract from the environment. 

“I would urge lots of people to try out the app over the Easter weekend and share their thoughts on their experience.” 

The app will be launched fully during the June 2012 Bank Holiday. 

To find out more about experimenting with the app during the Easter weekend go to http://discovershropshire.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/testing-testing/