Winchester’s award-winning 878 AD heritage experience will complete its time at The Brooks at the end of September.
Launched in 2022, 878 AD was designed to test new ways of engaging audiences with Winchester’s heritage. Operated by Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT), it tells the story of King Alfred’s victory over the Vikings, combining augmented reality (AR), live performance, and historic objects to create a unique visitor experience.
HCT Chief Executive, Paul Sapwell, said the attraction, developed through an innovative partnership with Ubisoft, creators of Assassin’s Creed®, and tech studio Sugar Creative, has shown the potential of reimagining heritage for new audiences.
“We are proud of everything 878 AD has achieved. Developed as a radical experiment to reach non-traditional museum audiences in Winchester, it has attracted younger and more diverse visitors and re-engaged people who hadn’t set foot in a museum for years. It has broadened expectations of what a museum visit can involve and raised the bar for heritage experiences in the 21st century.
“At the same time, the landscape in Winchester has changed. Since 878 AD opened, HCT has taken on the management of the Great Hall, creating a greater opportunity to embed this innovative approach within the city’s wider heritage offer. Sustaining a stand-alone venue at The Brooks has become increasingly difficult, with rising operational costs, inflation, and a rent increase. With the three-year review point now reached, it is the right time to reconfigure 878 AD into our wider Historic Winchester portfolio.”
Later this year, the interactive live-performance and technology-driven storytelling approach pioneered at 878 AD will be carried forward in HCT’s other Historic Winchester venues. Actors will bring new stories to life at The Great Hall and Westgate Museum, leading roleplay that will enrich the visitor experience. The growing schools programme at 878 AD will also be adapted to run at The Great Hall. Alongside this, an immersive redesign of the Medieval Gallery at Winchester City Museum is being commissioned that will draw on the innovation of 878 AD. This will build on the growth in footfall at Winchester City Museum seen since HCT introduced a joint ticket with the Great Hall in 2024. It is not anticipated that any roles will be made redundant as a result of the changes.
Sapwell continued:
“I’d like to thank all the partners who supported this stage of the project. Their boldness in backing innovation has been invaluable, and we look forward to building on the success of 878 AD to shape how visitors experience Winchester’s historic venues in the years ahead.”
Public enquiries can be directed to info@878ad.co.uk or call 01962 454505