The Trust
The trust comprises a project team, patrons and professionals in the field. Many were long time friends and craft associates of Rory’s, who spent many pleasant hours in no.7 and want to see the house and its collection saved
Iain Boyd MBE, BSc, MSc
Iain is a conservation advocate living in the Hotwells area of Bristol who chairs the City’s Conservation Advisory Panel. As well as a range of business experience, he holds an MSc in Conservation of the Historic Environment. He became a Trustee and then Chair of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) from 2008 until 2022. He also served as a Trustee of the Institute for Conservation (ICON) for six years and was an appointed Council member of the National Trust until 2024. Iain is the co-author of New Designs for Old Buildings, published by the RIBA and was awarded an MBE for services to heritage in 2023.
Chair of Trustees
Marianne Suhr MRICS
Marianne is a Chartered Building Surveyor, writer and broadcaster specialising in the repair and retrofit of historic buildings. She co- presented three series of BBC2’s ‘Restoration’ programme and more recently Channel 4’s ‘Restoration of the Year’ with Kevin McCloud. She has repaired and adapted four houses of her own, and used the experience gained to set up ‘The Old House Consultancy’ which focuses on the repair and retrofit of domestic buildings, especially historic timber frames. Marianne lectures extensively on a wide range of subjects and has a special interest in historic windows. She is a senior lecturer at the Cultural Heritage Institute where she teaches practical building conservation on their MSc course. She is the co-founder of the Building Conservation Summer School which is now in its 19th year. She was co-author of the ‘Old House Handbook’ and ‘Old House Eco Handbook’.
SPAB Lethaby Scholar, Trustee
Development Consultant
Jacqueline Kingsley
Jacqueline is a professional fundraiser and organisational development specialist working within the heritage, arts and cultural sectors. She has worked with large organisations such as Tate, Royal College of Art and the Design Museum and smaller charities including Handel House, Gloucestershire Academy of Music and Salisbury Museum. She is currently a Trustee of the American Museum & Gardens and the Redesdale Hall Trust and has enjoyed previous board memberships at Spike Island, the Royal West of England Academy and Engage. She loves the thrill of working on projects from their inception so is delighted to have been appointed as Development Consultant for the Rory Young House.
James Howley FRIAI
Conservation Architect, Trustee
James is an architect and author based in Dublin, specialising in contemporary design and the sensitive conservation and of historic buildings. For forty years, he has been responsible for the conservation and repurposing of buildings of national and international cultural significance. In 1993, when working as a practitioner in London, he completed a masters in conservation studies at the University of York, where he met Rory Young. On moving back to Ireland he invited Rory to lecture about lime to the RIAI and later to train Irish contractors on how to use lime mortars and coatings. This developed into thirty years of collaborative friendship until Rory’s death in 2023. James is the Surveyor of the Fabric of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin; the author of The Follies and Garden Buildings of Ireland; The Conservation of Places of Public Worship; and is a regular contributor to the Irish Arts Review.
TrusteeSimon Dring MRICS
Simon has recently retired as Head Agent to the Badminton Estate, where he had worked since training at the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester. His role included close involvement in the maintenance and repair of a wide range of Historic Buildings, using the traditional materials and methods as advocated by Rory Young. He continues to have a strong interest in Historic Buildings and promoting the skills needed to care for them.
Patrons & Supporters
Tamsin Wimhurst
Dame Fiona Reynolds CBE DBE
Sandy Nairne CBE FSA