Thursday 28 January 2010

Avebury and Stonehenge go live on Google

WOW 360-degree views of Stonehenge - click here

Avebury and Stonehenge can be explored with the click of a mouse from today as the National Trust's most famous sites have been added to Google's Street View mapping.

Over 20 historic locations across the UK - including castles, landscapes and country houses - have been scanned using a panoramic camera, bolted to the back of a tricycle, and added to Google's online mapping service.

Users can now take a 360-degree, ground-level tour of sites such as Corfe Castle in Dorset, Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, Lindisfarne Castle in Northumberland, and Plas Newydd in Wales.

Austen fans with a romantic sensibility can even take a virtual turn around Lyme Park in Cheshire - made famous by Colin Firth's emergence from its lake as Mr Darcy in the BBC's adaptation of Pride And Prejudice.

Google's Street View cyclists pedalled over 125 miles on the 18-stone trike, following marked routes around the National Trust sites to capture them from every angle.

Ed Parsons, technologist at Google, said: "We were delighted to be able to open up some of the UK's most famous landmarks to the rest of the world via the web."

However, he does not believe the online experience will discourage tourists from visiting the sites in person.

"It's a fun way to preview what to see and do on a day out," he said.

"Or whet your appetite for where to go next."

Google will continue to collect images from other National Trust sites throughout 2010, including UNESCO World Heritage Site the Giant's Causeway, in County Antrim.

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