Conservation Team

Sarah Robinson  BSc Eng (civil), MI.Struct.E

Director of Conservation

After studying engineering at Leicester University Sarah spent 6 years with Alan Baxter and Associates, consulting structural engineers based in London, where she worked on a number of historic buildings including Hampton Court Palace, Mansion House, Marlborough House and Southwell Minster. In 1991 she won a scholarship with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and spent 9 months traveling around Britain gaining hands on experience of historic building repair and conservation. In 1995 Sarah joined the Trust as a Conservation Manager and became Director of Conservation in 2003. 

Brian Clark  BA, Dip.Arch, RIBA 

Conservation Manager

Brian spent his childhood in Myanmar and Assam, followed by schooling in Essex and Devon. Brian studied at the universities of Reading & Göttingen, then taught in Hamburg and London’s East End before qualifying as an architect via day-release while working on urban renewal projects for practices with UK and overseas workloads. He led the architectural department in a housing association before managing his own practice for 17 years, working on a variety of new and historic building projects in various sectors. Brian joined the Trust in 2002. 

Dawn Whitton  BA (Hons), MA, IHBC, Dip.Lib.Cons.

Conservation Manager

Dawn grew up in Durham and studied at Newcastle, Leicester and Colchester obtaining a Foundation Course in Art and Design, Fine Art BA (Hons), Post Graduate Diploma in Library Conservation and MA in Architectural Building Conservation. Dawn has worked in historic building conservation for over 15 years, at Essex County Council and North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC). She also worked for several years as consultant Conservation Officer for North York Moors National Park Authority whilst at NYCC. Dawn joined the Trust in 2002.  

Gabriella Misuriello  B.Eng, MSc

Conservation Manager

Gabriella qualified as a Building Engineer at the University of Basilicata, Italy, where she carried out research studies on urban regeneration and heritage conservation. Afterwards, she studied for an international M.Sc. in European Construction in Denmark, Portugal and the UK. She then became consulting engineer at Studio De Tommasi, a private practice specializing in conservation, based in Bari Italy. Here she worked on a number of prestigious projects such as the St Nicola’s Basilica, Bari, the castles of Melfi, Sannicandro, Mola and Brindisi, and the archaeological Carthaginian battle site of Canne. She moved to England in 2000 and worked at Robert Franklin Architects, an architectural practice specializing in conservation, based in Oxford. Here she worked as a building engineer on a number of historical and listed residential private properties. Gabriella joined the Trust in 2004.

Neil Rushton  BA (Hons), MA, PhD (Cantab.), MIfA, FSA, FRHistS

Conservation Manager

Neil has an archaeological background, having begun work as a field archaeologist in 1992. He has specialised in standing building analysis and the built heritage since 1998 and has worked as a senior project manager with CKC Archaeology and Wessex Archaeology all over England. He took his BA (Hons) in Archaeology/History and MA in Medieval Studies at the University of Southampton, then moved onto Trinity College, University of Cambridge where he completed his Ph.D. The doctoral thesis was an interdisciplinary study of the spatial and architectural aspects of monastic almonries and outer precincts in medieval England with an analysis of the levels and types of poor relief. Neil is a member of the Institute for Archaeologists (MIfA), a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Neil joined the Trust in 2006.  

Peter Aiers  BSc (Hons) IHBC

Major Projects Manager

After a good career start in English Heritage, Peter has worked as a local authority conservation officer and was a member of Peterborough Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC). He moved from local government to be the first conservation officer employed in the Church of England, working for the Diocese of London DAC. Whilst working as a conservation officer Peter noticed that there was a need to further support parishes in the maintenance and sustainability of the historic buildings in their care and his role evolved into a Project Development Manager. As well as finding sustainable solutions to historic church buildings, through grant aid and commercial development, he also set up a centralised Gutter Maintenance service for the Diocese of London to provide low cost, high quality maintenance for churches. Joining the Trust in 2007 Peter has a specific role to find sustainable solutions to complex urban churches within the Trust as well as running the Regeneration Taskforce to enable more community involvement in the care and maintenance of our wonderful portfolio.

Matthew McKeague BA (Hons)

Regeneration Officer

Matthew began his career as a Regeneration Graduate Trainee at the London Borough of Lewisham. From there he moved into the private sector with the public policy and regeneration consultancy Shared Intelligence (SI). He delivered a number of consultancy projects during his 3 years with SI, working for clients across the public, private and voluntary sectors, including DCMS, One NorthEast and numerous local authorities. Matthew then spent three years as a Regeneration Officer with the London Borough of Lambeth, developing policy and projects and securing funding for programmes targeted at the borough’s small businesses and social enterprises. He was also project manager for Lambeth Savings and Credit Union during the lead up to its launch. Matthew joined the Trust in 2008 as the Regeneration Officer for the Regeneration Taskforce. He is supporting the work of the Trust in finding sustainable solutions for the Trust’s churches and helping to facilitate increased involvement of local communities in maintaining and sustaining the Trust’s portfolio.

Rebecca Tate MA PGDip MRICS

Regeneration Officer

Rebecca started her career in the built environment as a chartered surveyor with Weatherall Green & Smith / Atisreal (now BNP Paribas Real Estate), after following a geography degree at the University of Cambridge with a postgraduate qualification in estate management at London’s Southbank University. In qualifying and working as a surveyor she gained seven years experience of a wide range of both commercial and residential property, for both public and private landowners, often with historic considerations. She specialised in regeneration, planning and development work, principally masterplanning, development appraisal and urban regeneration projects. After two years working for a private developer, Rebecca joined the Trust in 2010. She has always had a strong interest in history and heritage, visual arts and design, and as a Regeneration Officer for the Regeneration Taskforce, this gives her the opportunity to directly link these interests with her career experience. Her post is also part of English Heritage’s Support Officer initiative, which funds capacity to help local communities in rescuing and revitalising their heritage assets.