An immersive virtual reality experience based on Chester's Roman amphitheatre is being developed by the University of Chester, funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

The project, Our City, Our Story: Deva Victrix in VR, invites members of the public to help shape a digital reconstruction of one of the city's most significant heritage sites.

It combines archaeological and historical research with immersive technology to recreate Roman Chester as it would have appeared nearly 2,000 years ago.

Developed with immersive design studio IMITO and archaeological reconstruction artist Julian Baum (Take27), the experience will present a virtual version of Roman Deva Victrix, featuring characters inspired by real people from the period, including a soldier, trader, gladiator and Romano-British woman.

These encounters are designed to give visitors a sense of everyday life on the edge of the Roman Empire.

Rather than viewing static reconstructions or artefacts, users will be able to move through a virtual environment of the amphitheatre and interact with its inhabitants.

The experience will be shown during Chester Heritage Festival and the University of Chester's Festival of Ideas, with further details on venues and dates to be confirmed.

"This experience puts people at the heart of history," said Caroline Pudney, senior lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Chester.

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"We're inviting the public to step inside a carefully researched digital reconstruction of the Roman amphitheatre, meet characters inspired by those who once lived in Deva and tell us what they think.

"By blending storytelling, technology and community input, Our City, Our Story offers a new way to explore heritage - one that is immersive, hopefully inclusive and deeply personal."

Jacob Dale, CEO and co-founder of IMITO, said the project uses tools including Unreal Engine and MetaHuman to create a highly realistic virtual reconstruction of Deva Victrix.

He said: "We believe that heritage should be something you can walk through, experience, and feel. In working on this project, we are incredibly proud to be bringing Deva Victrix back to life.

"Whether you are encountering a legionary or a gladiator, these hyper-realistic characters serve as a bridge to a story nearly 2,000 years in the making."

Based on a structurally accurate archaeological model developed with Tony Wilmott of Historic England, the reconstruction has been adapted for VR using updated research from the original excavation.

The experience also includes interactive elements, including handling virtual objects based on archaeological finds and engaging in conversations with historical figures, with the 3D model refined and weathered to enhance realism.