Why stone circles?: Ancient stone monuments have fascinated mankind for centuries, reaching a sustained peek in the 1970's, and through to today. The most famous of these monuments, Stonehenge, still retains much of its mystery and magic. What exactly is it? Well, the academic jury is still out, but many believe the huge megalithic stones to be aligned with celestial bodies (stars, moons, planets), and were used to gauge the time of year incredibly accurately. Other's have suggested that the circle is a amphitheatre, or ceremonial chamber. One thing is for sure, Stonehenge (and the thousands of ancient monuments across Europe) continue to fascinate, and provide an air of intense mystery, to historians and the public alike.

When were they built: The most productive period of stone circle construction was between 2500bc to 1500bc, an era commonly known as the Early Bronze Age. This period in history was, until comparatively recently, thought of as a primitive and uncivilized time. The modern, and enlightened view is that the era is proof positive that a productive race of ingenious people lived, worshipped and shaped the land we see today. They were highly skilled in woodcraft, metalwork and construction. Even today reconstructions have attempted to move enormous monoliths using a mixture of ancient, and modern techniques, only to be thwarted by nature and unforeseen difficulties. Like the pyramids, the construction of these ancient wonders baffles our best scientists and architects.



Inspired by mystery: Having spent many long Summer holidays in the English county of Cornwall, Matt Clark is no stranger to stone circles and the mysteries they promote. Tangible links with druidic cults, witch craft, ancient earth powers and sacred ground have only inspired his interest, and provided a keen sense of there being something 'otherworldly' about their power. So, when it came to dreaming up a gripping story, and great game setting, Matt thought only of stone circles, and the people who may have built them.

Learn more about Stonehenge with the BBC.
Find ancient sites across England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Europe.

What is a 'barrow': During, but mostly after, the peak in stone circle construction burial mounds known as 'Barrows' were constructed by the ancient Britons. They are far more common than the majestic stone circles, as 6000 can be found in the South West of England alone. Often these 'barrows' are large mounds of earth, with deep moat-like ditches surrounding the outer edge. Like stone circles, they can be eerie, unnaturally quiet places. Many have been excavated by archaeologists, desperate to learn more about a near forgotten era, and way of life. Matt Clark's screenplay for Barrow Hill follows such a team of dedicated historians, and suggests what may be buried inside the ancient monument.

In more recent times, post-medieval, the mounds became known as the home of the earth sprites, fairy folk and piskies, who were thought to hide from man in the earthy tunnels within. Occasionally, men were invited to join the enchanted folk in a feast inside the barrow. The night would pass in splendid celebration, as both man and fairy folk danced, sang and shared their stories. Falling into a cosy drunken slumber the men would sleep well into the afternoon. Climbing out of the barrow, into the midday sun they would find a hundred years has passed. Never to be regained.

Some of you are bound to know of ancient barrow mounds from J.R.R.Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The 'Barrow Downs' feature in the famous book, as the home to the evil 'Barrow-wights'. The location is feared by the hobbits, who are all too aware of the sinister location, but are foolish enough to sleep there after taking advice from Tom Bombadil. In the book, the barrows are described as being clad in springy grass, with tooth like standing stones marking their zenith.

As supposed places of peace after death you will agree that their reputation goes before them. Barrows may appear to be simple mounds of earth, but you should always be aware that something else is hidden beneath the leafy tumuli*.

*Tumuli: A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or kurgans and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn.

Why Cornwall as a game location?: Of all the counties which make up the British Isles, it is Cornwall which is thought to be the richest in folklore, magic, legends and mystery. As well as boasting thousands of stone circles, burial mounds and Celtic monuments, it is also the inspiration behind urban legends such as the ghosts of Jamaica Inn, the beasts of Bodmin Moor and the 'spriggans' who terrorised the poor workers deep in the tin mines. As the wretched miners hacked at the hardened rocks, they would hear the mysterious creatures scraping and chipping away at the darkened walls. The nasty little things were thought to guard hidden entrances to the underworld, and the treasures which lay out of sight. Today the old tin mines lay hidden underneath the peaty soil of the moors, and many believe the spriggans still dwell in the dark places of this forgotten world.

Away from the misty moors, it is the leafy lanes of South Cornwall which are thought to be haunted by the past. Hidden along these dark green corridors are sacred springs, like The Well of St.Keyne. The well was made famous by the poet Southey, who recorded a famous fable in his poem:

St.Keyne was a fair lady of the 5th Century, who travelled to Cornwall to perform many miracles. A favourite spot included the spring of clear water based in the Looe Valley, which was believed to provide healing water and blessed gifts. Upon her death, St.Keyne wished powerful magic upon the well, and its water as she faded away on the mossy banks. Four trees were planted, by St.Keyne, to celebrate the springs earthy magic. They were the Oak, the Elm, the Willow and the Ash tree. Direct descendants of those trees still provide a leafy umbrella to the well, during the hot summer months.

Using 'real' locations: Matt, and Shadow Tor Studios, became fascinated by the ancient wells of Cornwall. Grabbing a digital camera, sound recording hardware and camcorders, they recorded the sounds, sights and textures of many sacred wells, including St.Keyne. The 'Re-building the Cornish Landscape' section (below) features some fine comparisons between the real locations, and their 3D counterparts.

This is one of the many reasons why Cornwall has proven to be a fantastic inspiration for computer games like Barrow Hill, and further games planned by Shadow Tor Studios.

Re-building the Cornish Landscape: Shadow Tor Studios made a decision, very early in pre-production, to make the world of Barrow Hill as realistic as possible. Being surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in England was a huge bonus, and was seen as an asset not be be undervalued.

The images, above, show Matt and Shadow Tor Studios filming on location around the Looe Valley, recording ambient soundtracks and capturing textures for use in the 3D software. Why build a natural looking leaf, from scratch, when the team were surrounded by all that is wonderful in the natural world. 1000's of photographs, and endless footage was shot to create a database of natural imagery and sound for use in Barrow Hill, and the future games planned by the development team.

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As you can see from the 2 images, above, some pockets of Cornwall were replicated as game locations. The mossy steps which lead to St.Keyne's Well have been re-created in 3D. Like the 'real world' version, the steps lead to an ancient well, which gamers will find in Barrow Hill. Recreating actual locations in this fashion is both challenging, and oddly surreal. A location like St.Keynes well is mysterious, magical and legendary, so Matt couldn't help feel he was capturing some of that magic in the artwork, and game scenes. Nothing particularly strange, or spooky, occurred during the making of Barrow Hill, but the presence of the Cornish landscape was always felt to be close at hand.

The sounds of Cornwall: As well as great efforts to capture the 'look' of Cornwall's leafy lanes, it was thought very important to capture many of the sounds and ambient noises which can be heard as you wander through the countryside. Using digital sound recording equipment Matt ventured off into the woods and fields to capture appropriate sounds for use in-game. These include such oddments as the sound of shoes on mud, leaves and tarmac to accompany the players movements. Or, how about the sound of a holly bush scraping past the players jacket. Or, the sudden clap of a birds wings as it is disturbed in the night. These sounds can all be heard in Barrow Hill, bringing much of Cornwall's natural soundscapes to immortal life in-game.

Writing and recording characters: Later, in the games production, the character scripts were written and ready to be recorded. To give the cast a strong impression of their character, and setting, Matt invited them to the Duloe Stone Circle, which stands a couple of miles from the base of Shadow Tor Studios. Thankfully, it was a bright, sunny, Summer's day, with no sign of ancient evil or darkening woodlands.

Emma Harry, shown above, lends her voice to the character of the same name. Her role in the story is vitally important, and leads the player down new, and dangerous paths. Emma herself is interested in ancient sites, and the pagan monuments which hide in the fields and woods of the British Isles. Emma is also no stranger to acting, and dramatic performance. She can usually be found working in London's West End stage shows like The Lion King, The Queen Musical and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Getting Emma into the studio to record her lines was no trouble at all, and she loved every minute. (Hat and hysteria are the actors own).

Adding puzzles & adventure!: Like the look and sound of the game, Shadow Tor knew that the puzzles were an all-important aspect when building adventure games. Players need something to challenge their brain cells, and add a feeling of accomplishment. In most cases, the locations suggested what sort of puzzles would suit their setting. For example, you wouldn't have a hulking great generator to repair in an ancient Cornish well. Instead, the puzzles reflect the setting, and the activities that would take place there. The woods are full of varied flora for the player to collect and use during puzzle solving, whereas the nearby service station has CCTV to play with, and machines to decipher or mend. Hopefully, all of the puzzles fit neatly into the game world created, and pose interesting challenges and conundrums.

Those playing Barrow Hill are very much aware that there are two worlds battling for attention throughout the gameplay; the ancient world of our ancestors and the trappings of modern life. Alongside dark creepy country lanes you will find stark industrial buildings lit by amber floodlights. The world of Barrow Hill is one of contrasts, and each corner is different from the last. Building these two contrasting worlds has been a pleasure, and very challenging. Thankfully, many of the tasks have been made comfortable through choosing good software:

• Photo editing/manipulation: Corel Photopaint, and Paint Shop Pro.
• 3D objects, rooms, props: Strata3D
• Sound editing/creation: Sound Forge 5.
• Puzzle creation/game interaction: Director MX.
• Web design and management: Dreamweaver MX
• Video Capture and editing: Adobe Premiere 5.1
• Video Compression: Swish Video 2

All of the software packages mentioned above have been tried and tested, and used in many other adventure games. Some packages, like Macromedia's Director, are not the easiest tools to master, and take great patience and skill. Creating even the most simple puzzle is time consuming and painstakingly precise.

Nearing the end: With the game coming together, after almost 2 years!, it was time to add the final details, and finish off the project. To begin and end any story is always difficult, with interactive fiction even more so. Suggesting strong narrative is tricky when you have no idea how the player will progress through the story. So, it was thought that a strong intro and outro would be vital to lend the game a satisfying conclusion. Unlike the game world, these bookend scenes would be filmed rather than constructed in 3D.

Shooting film: The sequences were stroyboarded and shot in the Cinéma vérité style (genuine locations , real people and props) to suggest a sensation of heightened reality. As you will see, when playing Barrow Hill, the contrast between the real world, and the constructed world is quite striking.

Of course, filming the real world for inclusion in-game presented a whole new set of challenges and pitfalls. Matt, and Shadow Tor Studios, were dependent on weather, permissions to film and the actual landscape around them. Thankfully, all went according to plan (except for one incident involving an ice-cream and an owl), and the team were thrilled with the footage. Of the 3 hours filmed, only 2 minutes makes it into the final game, but they help provide a surreal edge not seen in many computer games. The cornish landscape provides a voice and character which would have been hard to capture any other way.

For the film footage, we'd like to thank:
Darkling Room (for filming the timelapse cloud scenes)
Christopher Marsh (stunt driver)
The Owl Sanctuary
Windsor Woods
Plymouth City Council

The End : By Matt Clark

Looking through some of these images brings back interesting memories, and reminds me of how long it has taken to produce Barrow Hill. From the muddy fields of Autumnal film shoots, to endless nights lost in the woods with no map, light or flask of tea. I can fully believe there is something strange, even supernatural out there. The Cornish woods beyond my window.

The game was a pleasure to research, put together and bring into the world. I hope some of that pleasure can be shared with gamers, now that the game is complete.