A new app design, developed by consultancy Clay Interactive, allows people to inside the Bank of England’s gold vaults. Vaults which house more than 400 000 bars of the precious metal.
The app was under development for a year, under former governor Sir Mervyn King’s watch, and has since been released as a free download via the Apple Store and on Google Play.
The app features high-quality panoramic photos of the Bank’s interior. It also houses interactive content, such as a guide to the range of security features found on banknotes.
It can be used across a multitude of platforms such as on smartphones. tablets, and desktop platforms. Additional content can be added, allowing the Bank to be able to build more features later.
Visitors online can also explore the Garden Court, which is planted with Mulberry trees, the material used to make the first paper money issued in 10th century China. The garden is also protected by is guarded by the ‘Bank Giant’, a 2m-tall former bank clerk whose body was buried in the garden in 1798.
Among the “points of interest,” the cash vaults, where the BoE holds a portion of its vast stock of banknotes, and the first floor committee room, where the Monetary Policy Committee meets to determine the interest rate that influences mortgages and savings
The Bank of England has been in its current home on Threadneedle Street since 1734, after being founded in 1694.
The Virtual Tour app is available via the following web link: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/virtualtourapp
