Stourhead seasonal trail

The Sensory Trust took part in a collaborative project with the National Trust to design and produce a seasonal trail, to increase understanding and enjoyment of a visit to a National Trust property for a wider range of visitors. The project focused on a seasonal trail at Stourhead in Wiltshire.

Rationale

The project was born of a desire to improve access physically, intellectually and culturally, to enable all visitors to explore and enjoy National Trust gardens.

The project had two aims: to produce seasonal trail, and to create a process that could be replicated across other National Trust sites. The project took place over 18 months to ensure time for the development of ideas, comparative consultation sessions, and research into the provisions of information and inclusive techniques.

The criteria for the trail project were:

• It should be inclusive
• It should make allowances for the seasonal aspects of the sites
• It should be portable to minimise the impact of additional interpretation in the landscape
• It should be written in plain language
• The process should be consultation-led
• The process should be transferable to other sites

The beneficiaries of the project were identified as:

• People with learning difficulties
• People with sensory impairments
• Older people
• People with impaired mobility
• Children
• Family groups
• Non English speakers

The process

The process of creating the trail was broken down into several different activity areas:

• Consulting with people
• Identifying the highlights of the site
• Overcoming barriers to access
• Working out what information to include
• Identifying useful formats

The process involved many representatives of the beneficiary groups during the development stage. We worked together, adapting and making changes as we went along. It was a fundamental part of the project that we would work together with members of the beneficiary groups to create something appropriate and useful and not simply get a stamp of approval on a design we came up with ourselves. It was important therefore to begin with very few preconceptions of how the trail would develop and allow it to be shaped by the different consultation sessions.

The consultation work took place on site at key stages of the design process. Local groups with various disabilities and impairments of all ages were invited to take part in structured consultation sessions. We used several tools including Sensory Mapping to identify sensory highlights that would form the stopping points on the trail. They discussed the design and content of the information and tested its effectiveness and usability when visiting the site. The feedback from these sessions was crucial to the development of the designs, they gave everyone involved a real understanding of what was needed in providing information for a wide range of users. The groups involved were also pleased to see the effect of their opinions in later adaptations of the designs.

The project involved many people from different disciplines both within the National Trust and others; this was a key factor in making the project a success. It was important to talk to everyone involved in the process, from people on the ground who can inform on the content and the highlights of a site, the people putting the information together, the people within the organisation that will be responsible for budgets, promotion and staff awareness, the people giving out the information right through to those using the information. By taking in all the aspects of a project we ensured that we were providing something people needed and wanted, and that there is a sustainable system in place to continue to provide for that need.

Features of the trail

The final trail was made available in the following formats

• Plain English
• Widgit symbols
• Braille
• Audio

The paper version was produced in A5 format to make it easy to carry. The design was in black and white so that the trail could be printed with an ordinary office printer. Illustrations were used throughout to support the identification of stops along the trail and were line drawings that were designed to provide maximum contrast.

Benefits

• Broadening the audience
• Spreading seasonal interest
• Encouraging repeat visits
• Enhancing visitor experience
• Fulfilling legislative responsibilities
• Greater staff and volunteer satisfaction

The Seasonal trail at Stourhead was launched on the 23rd of May 2006.

Registered Charity No. 1020670. Company limited by guarantee No. 02811046

© 2008 Sensory Trust