A NORTH Pennines town’s technological revolution is continuing with the launch of a collection of digital experiences.

Following on from the launch of a 5G internet test bed earlier this year, Alston can now boast a series of interactive stories and trails, which residents and visitors can experience using their mobile phones.

Commissioned by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership, the stories and trails are accessed via three apps, which were launched in the town on Tuesday.

The apps include a virtual reality tour of Alston’s old corn mill, which is inaccessible to the public for safety reasons, and an augmented reality app called Ghostlines, which will bring historic characters to life through cutting edge technology, making the characters appear on the viewer’s screen.

Tim Crump, digital interpretation officer for the North Pennines AONB Partnership, said: “We are extremely grateful to the Alston community, who have really embraced the project and helped us to create a really rich experience which reveals elements of the area’s history which have been hidden until now.”

The third app, the Alston School Family Explorer App, is a trail developed in partnership with 10 and 11-year-old pupils at Alston Moor Primary School.

Teacher Mark Fletcher said: “We’ve been developing the look of it, the style of it, the whole thing – we’ve been involved from start to finish.

“The children have been really engaged, really interested and really enthusiastic.”

Further information on how to use the apps is available from Alston Library.