Council initiative will vastly improve broadband connections to some of the region’s most popular venues, allowing greater insights into their history and collections
North Yorkshire Council is working to transform the way we engage with heritage and arts sites across the region by improving broadband connections. Work has already been completed at Knaresborough Castle, with the Royal Pump Room Museum and Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate set to benefit next.
Ruin of Knaresborough Castle; photo by Robin Lowe / Openverse
Improved internet connections mean that these venues can introduce such technological features as interactive displays, virtual and augmented reality and roaming exhibitions. Rural communities and tourism sites will also be able to host pop-up events. The aim is to attract a wider range of visitors to these cultural venues and offer a greater range of ways to engage them there.
What’s more, a new smart digital network enables the counting devices that allow staff to identify trends in visitor numbers. It also has the potential to enable air and temperature monitoring at venues, which could be useful for venues wishing to borrow art and artefacts from major national collections for new exhibitions.
The work at these sites is part of the wider Superfast North Yorkshire programme being managed by council-owned broadband company NYnet.
NYnet worked with a range of partners at Knaresborough Castle, which is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster but managed by the council. Historic England was also involved in the work. A key issue os that Knaresborough Castle, which dates back to the 1100s but was largely rebuilt in the 1300s, is both a listed building and scheduled monument.
Excavation work was therefore supervised by an archaeological contractor to check for any significant historical discoveries. A comprehensive report on the work undertaken was then submitted to the Duchy, with preservation guidelines closely followed.
Such investment in the future of the region’s tourism offer is important. More than 31m visitors explore North Yorkshire each year, with tourism revenues exceeding £4bn.
But this is also part of a wider investment in regional infrastructure. Over the past decade, more than £100m has been invested in improving internet connections across the region. Grants have been obtained from Building Digital UK (part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport), the European Regional Development Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (operated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and Openreach.
As well as providing better connections for Knaresborough Castle, the broadband network has improved internet speed and resilience for the NHS, emergency services, schools and businesses across North Yorkshire.
Cllr Simon Myers, Executive Member for Culture and the Arts at North Yorkshire Council, says: ‘Many of our displays have remained unchanged for decades and we are looking forward to bringing them up to date and engaging new audiences in our region’s rich cultural heritage. There are some fascinating items in storage too, which we are keen for people to see and enjoy.
‘These collections belong to the people of North Yorkshire, and we are looking forward to giving them a new life and purpose so that our history is seen and known by more people and the stories associated with it are not lost.”
Cllr Carl Les, Leader of the Council, adds: ‘This is yet another example of the importance of providing vastly improved internet connections to our venues and communities across North Yorkshire. The Superfast North Yorkshire programme has been instrumental in bringing the benefits of improved broadband to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses throughout the county.
‘The importance of having access to superfast broadband cannot be underestimated, as it is now part of everyday life for communities and businesses to make sure they can stay engaged globally from even the most deeply rural parts of North Yorkshire.’
Alastair Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of NYnet, says: ‘This project took over a year and involved meticulous planning and coordination due to the complex nature of the site. This thorough and careful approach was crucial to both preserving the historical integrity of the site and completing the project successfully.
‘As the castle explores the apps and technologies that will bring its plans to life, we will be on hand to boost bandwidth as needed and support the venue technically, so that it can exploit the full potential of the new digital connectivity.’
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