Google Trikers Snap Away at Warwick Castle
2 September 2009
The 18-stone mechanical Trike arrived with two riders at the iconic venue early this morning to capture 360 degree images of the one thousand year old Castle.
The 'tryclists' will travel throughout the UK this summer as Google honour their bid to get the public's favourite tourist attractions on Google Street View. Warwick Castle is the only Midlands tourist attraction to welcome the Google Trike, and will feature alongside Stone Henge, Angel of the North, Loch Ness and the Eden Project over the next few weeks.
Sue Kemp, general manager of Warwick Castle, said: "With its long and colourful history, Warwick Castle is one of the nation’s most iconic buildings. Welcoming the Google team to the Castle symbolises our continued popularity and means that we can share this great attraction with people the world over, through the wonders of modern technology."
A Google spokesperson said: "We've seen a tremendous amount of enthusiasm from British people to get their favourite places onto Street View. Now it's down to our super fit tryclists to get cracking and photograph these places so that curious historians, students and tourists all over the globe can soon admire the country's heritage and plan their next weekend away."
Warwick Castle will take its place on the virtual map, accessed through Google Maps or Google Earth tempting people at home and abroad to explore Britain's historic and culturally significant landmarks in an exciting new way. Additionally, they can benefit from the Street View technology by embedding Google Maps directly into their websites for free. Here they can add layers of information such as parking locations and upcoming events information.
Google & VisitBritain started the campaign last month by asking the British public to name their top tourist treasures within 5 categories; Castles, Coastal Paths, Natural Wonders, Historic Buildings & Monuments and (Sports) Stadiums. 10,000+ suggestions were received and whittled down to 16 which went to the final public vote, resulting in today's winners. These 16 finalists were: Angel of the North, Bamburgh Castle, Cheddar Gorge, Colchester Castle, Corfe Castle, Durdle Door, Eden Project, Ironbridge (Blists Hill Victorian Town), Kenilworth Castle, Lands End, Leeds Castle, Loch Ness, Millennium Stadium, Pembrokeshire Coast and Stonehenge.
More information is available via Laura Scott (Google communications & public affairs) laurascott@google.com and 07782 303 719/ 0207 031 3049.
For further information, please contact Hannah Johnson or Amy O'Toole at Willoughby PR on 0121 456 3004 or email hannahj@willoughby-pr.co.uk / amyo@willoughby-pr.co.uk.
Notes to Editors:
- Warwick Castle is Britain's ultimate castle, situated at Junction 15 of the M40, and is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Delivering everything you'd expect from a castle - towers, ramparts, knights, princesses, jousting, spectacular birds of prey - it immerses visitors in castle life throughout the ages, from the murky middle ages and the gorgeous Georgians right through to what life was like at the castle in Victorian times.
- All prices for the Castle in 2009 are lower than 2008 - entry to the Castle for a family of four is just £45, with adult entry £16.95, children £10 and over 60's £11.95. Book your ticket in advance online for further reductions - print your own tickets at home and beat the queue. Alternatively, advance bookings can be made by calling 0871 265 2000. Guests are advised to check opening times and the entertainment schedule in advance of their visit.
- New for 2009 is the internationally acclaimed Dungeon, opening Easter 2009.
- Based in London, York, Edinburgh, Hamburg and Amsterdam the Dungeons combine live actors, special effects, hair raising rides and authentic theming to transport visitors back to the most horrible chapters in history. Unrivalled across the globe as the ultimate multisensory experience specialising in scary, historical edutainment, each Dungeon's stories are unique to their home city, bringing it vividly back to life for the most frighteningly fun experience of a lifetime. Please see www.thedungeons.com for more information, opening times and ticket prices.
- Warwick Castle is part of the Merlin Entertainments Group, the leading name in location based, family entertainment. Bigger than Universal and second only to Disney, Merlin Entertainments brings together LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds, The London Eye, SEA LIFE, Gardaland, and the Dungeons - as well as national brands such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle and Heide Park. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative - and which have great potential for growth in the future.
- Merlin Entertainments Group has launched its credit crunch-busting Merlin Annual Pass, admitting passholders to all UK Merlin attractions as many times as they like, whenever they like for a full 12 months from the date of purchase. For further information on how to purchase passes and pricing, please visit www.merlineannualpass.co.uk or call 08444 77 44 44.