Archbishop Brushes with Digital this Christmas
An Archbishop has swapped sermons for podcasts this Christmas after helping to guide Yorkshire visitors through the footsteps of artist JMW Turner.
Along with festive carols, the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu will be singing the praises of York Minster in a digital podcast about Turner's experience of Yorkshire.
The Archbishop is one of four Yorkshire ambassadors to join Turner expert Professor David Hill of Leeds University in exploring places painted and sketched by Turner during his many visits to the county.
Other podcasts feature David Lascelles of Harewood House (The Beginning - Why did Turner come to Yorkshire); artist Ashley Jackson (Turner's Coastal Yorkshire); and Ken Hawley MBE of the Hawley Collection Trust, Sheffield (Turner's Industrial Yorkshire).
All four episodes are now ready to download along with maps and guides spotlighting famous views discovered by Turner nearly 200 years ago.
The official tourism agency for Yorkshire, Welcome to Yorkshire is behind the Turner Trails which have sparked widespread interest after generating more than 28,500 hits on Yorkshire.com since their launch in June.
Demand has also been high for the ‘Discover Turner's Yorkshire' booklet after 20,000 copies were snapped up by potential tourists to the county.
Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "Thanks to the help of Yorkshire ambassadors, the Turner Trails have now gone digital further widening their appeal.
"The new podcasts are not only interesting and educational but the maps and tours are also a fun free way for the whole family to spend a day out in Yorkshire over the Christmas holidays and enjoy the legacy that Turner left behind."
The Turner Trails allow visitors to follow in JMW Turner's footsteps as he painted and sketched over 800 views across 70-plus sites in Yorkshire.
The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said: "Turner produced wonderful sketches of York Minster on the several occasions he visited York and I was delighted to be asked to record a podcast about York Minster for the Turner Trails.
"Turner was so inspired by Yorkshire's contrasting landscape - and so am I!
"This digital age gives the audience every chance to learn more and through Welcome to Yorkshire's Turner Trails, people can take a step back in time and trace Turner's locations through Yorkshire.
"Marvellous, let's get walking and learning!"
Welcome to Yorkshire launched the campaign thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Visitors can now download audio tours and maps for the Turner Trails through its website.
These include six walks in the Wensleydale area and allow online visitors to view the length, navigation and technicality of the walk and view accommodation in the area.
Benches have been installed at viewpoints as well as interpretation panels providing additional information for visitors.
The Trails include some of the region's most famous sites such as Fountains Abbey and Rotherham Minster as well as some of the secret corners.
Turner Facts:
• Joseph Mallord William Turner was born on 23 April 1775 in London's Convent Garden
• Turner entered the Royal Academy of Art aged just 14 years
• He died in the house id his mistress Sophia Caroline Booth, in Chelsea on 19 December 1851. His last words were reportedly "The sun is God"
• The artist JMW Turner was a frequent visitor to Yorkshire in the early 1800's
• His extensive tour of 1816, covering more than 500 miles and making the same number of sketches, makes him an original ‘tourist' to the region
• Turner was inspired to make over 800 sketches and paintings of locations across the region and these now, in turn, inspire visitors to the romantic landscapes and countryside, historic houses, castles and abbeys the region has to offer.
For more information about the Turner Trails go to www.yorkshire.com/turner
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Editors' Notes:
• Welcome to Yorkshire is the official tourism agency for Yorkshire, working to grow the county's visitor economy.
• Welcome to Yorkshire is funded by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy.
• Key facts include:
• Tourism in Yorkshire is worth £7 billion annually
• The county's industry employs almost a quarter of a million people
• There are 209 million visits to Yorkshire each year
For more news and a free image bank www.yorkshire.com/mediacentre
For further information contact:
Jo Francisco - Press Officer
Email: jfrancisco@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3563
Mobile: 07769257327
Andy Denton - Press Officer
Email: adenton@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3537
Mobile: 0785 5812094