Thornton Abbey, which was one of England's wealthiest Augustinian monasteries, has the nation's best preserved monastic gatehouse, and the displays help people orientate themselves around the site and get a feel for the quality of craftmanship used in its building.

Barton upon Humber-based company Visually Impaired Media Access Consultants (Vimac) worked with Hull University's Design Enterprise Centre and English Heritage on the project.

A small part of the abbey's intricate facade was scanned into a computer and the data manipulated and fed into a "rapid prototyping" machine to produce a tactile plastic model, set within a stylised relief of the gatehouse. The technique has been used to recreate a medieval stone capital, showing the high-quality masonry of the abbey in its heyday.

Paul Thornton, from Vimac, said: "This was an exciting new development for us as a company and I believe it is the first time worldwide that this technique has been used in accessible interpretation of heritage sites. Everyone who has tried it has been impressed by the detail and also pleased that for once someone bothered to consider the needs of people who have a visual impairment."

The abbey complex was founded in 1139 by Augustinian canons. While most of the monastic buildings were plundered for stone centuries ago the gatehouse has survived almost intact.

The abbey is open daily, 10am to 5pm, and from Wednesday to Sunday during September. Winter opening times (October until March) are Friday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Admission is £4 adults, £3.20 concessions and £2 children. English Heritage members are admitted free. Visitor information on 01652 632516 or www.english-heritage.org.uk