Would you like to know about the fiery friar whose temper led to his abbey getting burned down?

Or where the widowed wife of an Elizabethan superstar kept his decapitated head? With gatherings of up to six and two households now permitted to meet up outside, Ordnance Survey is launching the Secret Stories app to banish those lockdown blues and turn family walks into mini adventures.

The Secret Stories app is free to download and brings Dorset’s towns and cities to life, with each self-guided tour revealing a diverse and interesting mixture of folklore, celebrity, history and myth as you follow the route around.

Each Secret Stories tour varies, but can contain a mixture of audio clips, images, challenges, puzzles, teasers and directions to help you immerse yourself in each location as you move from story to story.
On Sherborne’s Monks and Megastars Tour, families will uncover the hidden history of Sherborne’s Abbey and castles.

They will cross paths with the legend of explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, discovering his life, his glory and his unfortunate end.
The first Dorset locations to feature walks include Sherborne, Lyme Regis, Shaftesbury, Abbotsbury, Wimborne Minster, Dorchester, Mudeford, Hengistbury Head, Blandford Forum, Portland and Milton Abbas.

Nick Giles, managing director for OS Leisure, said: “We know it can be difficult to find something for everyone to enjoy together outdoors which is why OS has created Secret Stories, to make a walk more fun and interesting for the whole family. Simply download the Secret Stories app, make your way to the location of your choice, and pick a ‘tour leader’ for the group. Then set off on a guided tour and learn about unique stories together, everything from mysterious deaths to scandalous romances, rogue kings and much more. We’re hoping that as we all emerge from lockdown, particularly with the restrictions we still have in place here in Dorset, Secret Stories will be the perfect way to get outside and have some fun while improving your local knowledge.”

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