We’ve been involved with a lot of heritage buildings through the years, with some we’ve created a new, different life for the building, as with The Robinson, but some just want additional life brought into them, happy with the way they had stood for centuries, like Astley Hall and Towneley Hall. These buildings have been handed down through the generations, and now rely on generations of new visitors to retain the legacy.

A building’s original architecture alone can no longer be relied upon to bring in visitors, instead visitors need to be invited into its history, making them want to visit, see, linger, learn, often eat and drink, and most importantly, spend. Appealing to all generations is the key, proving them with easily accessible information, pitched at their level – physically and educationally. They should be guided through spaces and stories, exploring with as many of their senses as possible in the process.

At Astley Hall we interpreted the story of the families who lived and worked there, introducing information into the sensitively restored rooms, bringing the history of the spaces to life for the visitors. Pitching the varied versions of the story at different levels, to suit the reader’s height. This provides the team at the Hall the flexibility to add, remove and change the information as required, future-proofing the investment for the next generation.

Towneley Hall wanted both a new interpretation to engage with visitors, in addition to improving visitor circulation.  We added features to guide visitors through the eras that the Hall has been considered ‘The Jewel in Burnley’s Crown’ and introduced the next generation its stories through ‘Bill the Bear’. The younger guests are greeted by Bill the Bear in the Servants’ Corridor with some family-friendly goody bags, to ensure that visits to the Hall are enjoyed by all the generations.

By bringing the history and stories through the centuries to life for all the present generations to enjoy, footfall is increased, as is visitor spend, preserving our heritage buildings for future generations