Historic sites, including one just a few miles from Worcester, are encouraging visitors to explore history using all their senses.
English Heritage is reintroducing ‘Ministry of Works’-style signs at a number of its sites, including Witley Court and Gardens, near Great Witley.
But instead of warning visitors to ‘Keep off the grass’ or ‘Keep children under control’, the new signs give playful reminders not to miss out on sensory experiences.
This may be removing their shoes and standing where history happened or appreciating memorable views that have remained unchanged for centuries.
The charity has also created a visual guide outlining the ‘50 Ways to Explore using your Senses’ on its website.
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It includes suggestions such as feeling the chill of ancient stones, tasting heritage produce grown in historic kitchen gardens, taking on new perspectives from the vantage points of historic figures and sniffing out the onsite animals.
A shorter, family-friendly version of the guide is also available to download and print for visitors to take with them to their nearest English Heritage site.
Louise Crawley, landscape advisor and historian at English Heritage, said: “Throughout the centuries, the properties in our care have been homes, workplaces and places of worship to many thousands of people.
“This summer, we’re inviting visitors to escape from their own lives for a moment and, by using their senses to engage with their surroundings, walk in the footsteps of England’s vast array of historic figures – seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching the very same things that they did.
“In the past, much pleasure would have been derived from simple sensations such as smell, touch and sound.
“In today’s world, where we’re constantly overstimulated and expected to be at the end of a phone 24/7, it can be difficult to stop and connect with our environment.
“We hope that our visitors will be inspired to take the time to focus on the sensations around them and, in doing so, form a deeper understanding of the lives of those who went before.”
The senses signs will be at English Heritage sites from today until the end of July.
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