England’s last wilderness gets 21st century upgrade

19th September 2011

Categories: Latest News

England’s last wilderness gets 21st century upgrade

Dartmoor National Park, which is commonly seen as England’s last wilderness and still has the most remote spot from tarmac anywhere in the country, is getting its own iPhone app.

The official tourism organization for Dartmoor, the Dartmoor Partnership, is bringing the region into the 21^st Century with its own iPhone app. Allowing visitors and locals alike to gain access to information on what to do, where to stay, where to eat and drink, walks and events.

The new Dartmoor iPhone app, which is a first for a national park, first for a rural area and first for the South West, has just launched and aims to make Dartmoor more accessible, reaching a whole new audience. As iPhones have built in geo-locating technology, users will be able to tap on the app and bring up a wealth of information right to the palm of their hand. If someone is at the end of a walk and wanting to find out where the nearest pub is and how to get there, then this information will be available in seconds in the middle of the moor or at the top of a tor.

Information for the app will be drawn straight from the Dartmoor Partnership’s innovative website www.dartmoor.co.uk and will be updated on a regular basis. The app aims to offer users a comprehensive and interactive visit to Dartmoor. The functionality will offer users search and filter options with listings and map views. At the touch of the screen detailed product information including prices and tracking will be displayed, while users will also be able to create a favourites bespoke itinerary builder. All this along with geo-location and slick mapping with directions will allow any visitor to navigate, plan and book their whole visit.

The app is just one of the new facilities that Dartmoor will enjoy as part of the Active Dartmoor project. The Dartmoor Partnership is tasked with developing the project over the next three years with the aim of raising the profile of Dartmoor as a centre for activity. Funded by Greater Dartmoor LEAF, The Duchy of Cornwall, West Devon Borough Council and Dartmoor National Park Authority, the project is also developing an Active Dartmoor magazine, produced by Edgemoor Publishing.

Jess Whistance, Dartmoor Partnership Manager comments, ‘This app is essential for getting information about Dartmoor in the hands of the next generation. The technology is out there and iPhones are proving so, so popular; if we want Dartmoor to thrive in this forward thinking and quick moving world, we need to keep up. It is such an exciting development and I am really pleased to see the app go live. People will be able to literally plan their visit all in the palm of their hand, sitting in their offices and at their desks in Birmingham, Bristol and London, a quick tap and there it is; it won’t be a matter of what to do, but what not to do’.

Jess Whistance comments, ‘The app works in tandem with our website which will also have a new look come the summer. Already a mine of information, it will have even more functionality, such as interactive mapping, downloadable routes, displaying walks, cycle routes, places to swim, access for wheel chairs, and much more. The Active Dartmoor project is a fantastic opportunity for Dartmoor and those that provide its facilities to shine. The general public, outdoor enthusiasts, young and old will have what people in the cities take for granted - information at their finger tips’.

The Dartmoor iPhone app is now live! To download the app, please click here

RSS feeds