A new visitor experience recreating Anglo Saxon Winchester will be bringing history to life this autumn with an immersive mix of virtual gaming and augmented reality.
Turning the clock back to a key moment in Winchester’s history, the 878 AD attraction uses visuals from the video game franchise Assassin’s Creed®, cinematic audio-visual projection, and live interactive performance.
Opening in the city’s Brooks Shopping Centre on 12 November, the experience will take visitors back to the defeat of the Vikings by Alfred the Great at the Battle of Edington in May 878.
The event was destined to be a pivotal point, not only in the history of the city, England’s ancient capital and former seat of King Alfred the Great, but in the history of England as an emerging, unified nation.
Hampshire’s latest visitor attraction aims to recreate the atmosphere of the city, as well as the lives of the people who lived in it, on the eve of this crucial battle.
Visitors will discover the story in two parts: an interactive attraction with video projection and live performance; and an augmented reality adventure on the streets of Winchester itself.
Offering a glimpse of life in early medieval Wessex, recreated in detail by Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (any italics required here?) live performance will also bring to life he everyday stories of the people of Anglo-Saxon Winchester.
Real Anglo-Saxon objects will also feature, including the Winchester Reliquary – a portable altar containing the relics of a saint – which is the only known one found in England, while visitors will also be able to try their hand at medieval games.
The time travelling journey then continues on the streets of Winchester, using an augmented reality app, 878 AD: Winchester Revealed, which is available for download at the attraction.
878 AD is a pioneering collaboration between Hampshire Cultural Trust and Ubisoft, creator of the global best-selling gaming series Assassin’s Creed, in collaboration with Sugar Creative, one of the UK’s leading immersive tech innovation studios. Tickets cost £15 adult, £9.50 children (5-15 years).
For more information about the new attraction, visit https://878ad.co.uk/the-experience/
For general tourist information about Hampshire, see www.visit-hampshire.co.uk
Photo: Winchester’s Alfred the Great statue – Javaid Akhtar