Closed for a year of redevelopment, the new offering for visitors vastly increases the quantity and range of AV interpretation and has resulted in a massive increase in visitors. The site has been in use since the Iron Age, but most of what is now visible was built by the army and associates during the first half of the 20thCentury.

Each ‘casemate’ is dedicated to a theme from the site’s past. In ‘Dieppe and D-Day’ visitors are directed by a life-size Receptionist, on a 55” screen, into the Boardroom. Here, meetings are taking place, with life size representatives again on screens, planning and reacting to key attempts to take back Dieppe during WWII. Initially showing the harbour view from the ‘windows’, 86” screens turn to scenes of battles and other action. Animated maps are projected onto a table; while planes fly across the clouds projected onto the ceiling, with lighting used to increase the show immersion, and to also direct visitors. All the while, framed portraits appear to come to life, being screens in a range of sizes.

Visitors can tune-in to listen to WWII stations by turning a (USB)radio dial; with one channel illuminating the adjacent “Vera Lynn” exhibit and playing one of her songs.

Elsewhere in the exhibition, audio, lighting and special effects mimic an Air raid shelter, whilst audio, lighting and projection are used to sombre effect to depict a WW1 scene.

Multiple interactive and passive AVs throughout the site help visitors understand the many layers of history in which they are standing.