Characters from Lichfield’s rich history are bursting to tell their stories through a new, free, Augmented Reality story trail experience in the city.

The Lichfield Time Travellers App invites you to take a walk through the city’s streets meeting historical figures including Dr Samuel Johnson, poet Anna Seward, scientist and inventor Dr Erasmus Darwin, actor David Garrick and more. All you need is a smartphone.

At each of a dozen locations Time Portals can be opened by scanning the area around you and a figure from Lichfield’s past is pulled through to tell their story.

Meet Dr Johnson’s faithful friend and manservant, Francis Barber, as he arrives to go fishing in his adopted city and St Chad of Mercia, the first Bishop of Lichfield, who is returning following a long trek. 

Each figure appears in the street before you and leaves behind a time crystal containing an artefact for you to collect as you progress.

It’s easy to enjoy the Lichfield Time Traveller’s AR experience. Start by downloading the app to your iOS device here and Android device here or by searching for Lichfield Time Travellers in the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

Once the app is downloaded, you’ll enjoy a short introduction before a live map launches to help you navigate the trail. 

This project is among of many the council has funded through money allocated from The Welcome Back Fund, £185,002 received from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Fund’s Growth Programme 2014-2020 .