Heritage Trail Guide

Heritage Trail · Free community guide

How to build a
heritage trail

A practical, step-by-step guide for local history groups — from the first idea to a finished trail with a QR code on the noticeboard. Written for Milton Keynes Heritage Association members and freely available to any community group.

Start with Chapter 1 →

This guide covers every stage of creating a heritage trail — planning, writing, finding images, recording audio, publishing, getting permissions, and finding funding. Each chapter stands alone, so you can dip in wherever you need help.

The guide

Seven chapters,
start to finish

Read straight through from Chapter 1 if you're starting from scratch, or jump to any chapter for guidance on a specific stage of the process.

1 Chapter
Planning your trail
How to choose a theme, decide on your stops, plan a route, and do the research that will make your trail worth walking. Start here if you're beginning from scratch.
Theme & audience Choosing stops Route planning Local archives Planning checklist
2 Chapter
Writing for a heritage trail
The words at each stop are the heart of the trail. This chapter covers tone, how long each stop should be, how to write a strong opening, and why specific details matter more than general statements.
Tone & voice Word count Stop structure Writing for audio Editing
3 Chapter
Sourcing historic images
Where to find old photographs of your area, how to use them legally, how to scan originals, and how to prepare images for the trail app. Includes a copyright traffic light guide.
Online sources Local archives Copyright Scanning File preparation
4 Chapter
Recording an audio guide
How to record a clear, engaging audio guide using equipment most groups already have. Covers scripting, narration, recording technique, editing with free software, and the right file format.
Script writing Equipment Recording technique Editing MP3 export
5 Chapter
Publishing your trail
How to get your trail live on the internet for free using GitHub Pages — step by step, with no technical knowledge assumed. Includes setting up a web address and generating a QR code poster.
GitHub Pages Uploading files Your trail URL QR poster Updating
6 Chapter
Getting permissions Coming soon
What permissions you need before going public — from landowners and highways for outdoor stops, to what you need if you want to put up physical signage. Includes a simple permissions tracker.
Landowner consent Highways Physical signage Liability Permissions tracker
7 Chapter
Funding your trail Coming soon
Grant sources relevant to community heritage projects in the MK area, how to write a simple funding case, and what funders typically want to see. Includes National Lottery Heritage Fund and local sources.
Heritage Fund Local grants Funding case In-kind support MK sources

How this guide works

01

Read in order or dip in

The chapters follow the natural order of building a trail — plan, write, find images, record audio, publish, get permissions, find funding. If you're starting from scratch, read in order. If you need help with one specific stage, go straight to that chapter.

02

Use the toolkit alongside it

The guide explains the thinking and the process. The Heritage Trail Toolkit provides the practical tools — the map editor, config editor, QR poster maker, and publishing guide. The two work together.

03

Get in touch if you're stuck

The Milton Keynes Heritage Association is here to help member groups. If you're working through the guide and hit a wall — with research, copyright, a technical problem, or anything else — contact us at info@mkheritage.org.uk.

A project by

Milton Keynes Heritage Association

This guide is written for MKHA member groups and freely available to any community history group in the UK. If you're using it and have suggestions for improvements, we'd love to hear from you.
Back to Heritage Trail mkheritage.org.uk