54 CONTEXT 185 : SEPTEMBER 2025 Natalie Aldrich New member profile In 2012, aged 31 and in a job I knew I did not want to do for the next 30-plus years, I took a leap and returned to university to study architectural conservation. As a lover of all things history, archaeology and old places, I had undertaken several distance-learning courses and been involved in numerous volunteer roles across the historic environment sector since my mid20s. These included researcher at Dorset History Centre, building surveyor on a Dorset Council/ English Heritage pilot scheme for expanding the Heritage at Risk Register, and several archaeological fieldwork projects. On completing my second degree and after a stint in measured building surveying, I applied for an architectural technician job at Savills. As it transpired, I was offered the role of heritage consultant in their Taunton office (and then their Wimborne office in Dorset), though I was not sure what that meant at the time. Six months in, I joined the IHBC as an affiliate member as I saw it as the key professional body for our industry of managing and conserving historic buildings. The opportunity to access CPD and networking with more experienced people was important to me, especially in my first few years in the role. I spent eight and a half years at Savills, which gave me an incredibly useful range of experience and of working with enormously knowledgeable people across the planning, development and heritage spectrum. After several false starts at writing my application for full membership, the biggest push was the support of my new company, tor&co, which I had started working for in 2024. I realised that I probably did have a broad enough range of project experience to confidently cover all the competencies required for full IHBC membership. I will reach ten years in heritage consultancy at the end of 2025 and I am really pleased to have obtained full membership before this milestone. I believe that the IHBC’s recognition of my professional ability and experience is vital in my work. One of the most enjoyable parts of the role is the variety of clients and projects that I have been able to support and provide advice on. Projects have ranged from Grade I-listed castles and registered parks to agricultural buildings, mills, monastic remains and everything in between. I am a great believer in lifelong learning and returned to parttime study in 2020 to complete an undergraduate certificate in landscape history and archaeology. The IHBC is a great resource for supporting this, both through formal training and informally, such as with regional newsletters and Context. The regional structure is positive, although greater resource to support the regional committee members would help bring professionals together more often. I would love to expand my network here in the South West. I also think that more could be done to bring together private and public sector professionals across the IHBC and historic building disciplines. Natalie Aldrich is a new full member of the IHBC. Corfe Castle and Village, Dorset, sited at a gap in the Purbeck Hills (Photo: Catfish Pete, Wikimedia)
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