Transecting the Strand Union Workhouse: An Excursion into Social History along Digital Geo-located Paths

Transects have been used in science, forensics, ecology and archaeology as a path along which data is captured in situ that can then be visualised to show patterns, frequency of occurrence, density and volume of ‘finds’. We have taken this data collection method into visitor tours to explore how location-based learning might inform the social history of buildings. By utilising a Twitter account linked to a mapping tool we have made a service, transecTour, that enables users to draw a geo-located transect path and log the frequency, occurrence and type of things or finds spotted along that route. In this project, finds are manifested in multiple ways – from a conversation with the receptionist at a local community centre, graffiti messages on a wall, to worn away tarmac and decaying medical posters. These are the kinds of ‘here and now’ features that enable a building to be annotated with personal, everyday, ‘off the cuff’ geo-located data.