Malmesbury

I have been a volunteer with the Wiltshire Buildings Record for around twelve years.  Volunteering for me is a privilege and a pleasure.  I can choose to do it when it suits and it fits around my family.  The benefits have been many.  Life-long learning is very important to me.  Here, I am immersed in buildings archaeology, which is my passion.  My more experienced colleagues are generous with their time and knowledge.  They have given me the confidence to explore my interests more deeply.

There is no such thing as a typical week.  My work is varied.  Recently I have been busy letting people know about our annual Study Day “Dating Clues in Period Houses” which is on 8th November.   Yesterday morning I helped with the filing.  Afterwards we met with a paint conservator who is doing a PhD in 16-17th C painting schemes.  She came all the way from Suffolk to research what the WBR has found in Wiltshire, and to share her research findings with us.  It was fascinating and we will put our latest understanding into practice when recording buildings.  In the afternoon I went to Malmesbury where we made a record of the historic fabric in a small 19th C house.  This included what may be the remains of a lost bastion from the medieval town wall!