During my MA, I decided to apply for a PhD. I received funding from UEA to study eighteenth-century perceptions of landscape evidenced in language. I developed an approach of decoding descriptive language use to show a codified language of landscape through which members of ‘polite society’ could communicate and explored how understanding language use in the past might aid our care for historic landscapes in the present.

How have you made use of the qualification?

My MA dissertation drew considerable interest and gave me the opportunity to speak about my research and develop skills in lecturing, teaching and presenting. Both my MA and my PhD have helped me to hone my archival research skills and my writing, and working with and editing a lengthy document like a thesis has allowed me to confidently work with and produce similar length documents in my work. I became aware of the Gardens Trust during my postgraduate courses too and have met so many contacts and supporters through their work.

Outside of my PhD, I worked with my supervisor on consultancy contracts, gaining invaluable on-site experience of conducting historic landscape assessments and producing restoration proposals. This experience directly contributed to the roles I have since undertaken, including as Landscape Advisor/Historian (now Curator of Gardens and Landscape History) for English Heritage. It also showed me it was possible to work as a freelance consultant, taking on a variety of projects, all with research and landscape and garden history at their heart.