Staff
Caroline Hardie MA, MCIfA, IHBC
Caroline is an experienced project manager and specialist used to working with multi-disciplinary teams having been the Head of Conservation and the County Archaeologist for Northumberland County Council until 2003, dealing with historic buildings, archaeology, nature conservation and marine biology.
She now provides high quality planning advice on all aspects of the historic environment and prepares Conservation Management Plans, Statements of Significance, Heritage Assessments and Conservation Area Appraisals throughout the UK.
Working with Niall Hammond she has also recently completed the restoration and conversion of a scheduled ancient monument (Scargill Castle) into a holiday let powered using renewable energy and so is familiar with the issues of bringing historic buildings back into active use. She spends time most years preparing conservation specifications for scheduled ancient monuments in the North York Moors, obtaining quotes and overseeing works on behalf of the National Park as part of their Monument Management Scheme.
She has acted as a specialist heritage witness at several public inquiries and worked with English Heritage to improve their advice on significance and setting. Her work is therefore planning proof and capable of examination at public inquiry. She is a Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (1995) and a Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (1990) and has a MA in archaeology from Glasgow University (1985). She is a mentor and expert adviser to the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Niall Hammond BA (Hons) MIfA
Niall Hammond has over 25 years experience of working in the arena of built and cultural heritage within the broader envelope of sustainability, environment and economic regeneration.
He is the former County Archaeologist for Durham where he had responsibility for archaeological planning advice and the development of heritage databases; and the former Senior Historic Buildings Advisor to the Ministry of Defence across the UK estate where he advised on historic buildings, archaeology, landscapes and World Heritage Sites for which he was the MOD subject matter expert. In particular he led on the MOD’s UK wide Buildings at Risk programme consisting of numerous projects looking at the sustainable re-use and upgrading of historic buildings. Niall has represented a number of clients at public inquiries producing proofs of evidence and acting as a specialist witness.
He is an expert adviser and mentor to the Heritage Lottery Fund, a Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (1999) and sits on both the National Trust’s Regional Advisory Board for Yorkshire and the North-East and their national Archaeology Panel. He has recently been appointed to the National Heritage Lottery Fund North East Regional Committee.