Barry Hillman-Crouch CV

I have over 35 years experience in most fields of archaeology and the historic built environment having worked on watching briefs, large and small scale excavations, finds, publications, promotion, photography, supervision (of professionals, volunteers and children). I have helped design, set up and run an archaeological field school and a children's dig. I have made many site surveys and detailed historic buildings surveys.

For over 25 years I have worked at a professional level in illustration and publication, academic, popular and commercial including publishing on the web.

I have a detailed knowledge of timber-framed buildings, historic ironwork in timber-framed buildings. I am an experienced archaeological photographer, illustrator, artworker, researcher, compiler, on-site recorder and historic building archaeologist.

I have also worked in engineering and architectural design having done outline drawings for repairs and complete new build. I designed and partly built the extension on my previous home. In 2009 I designed and had built my own new timber-framed house.

I designed my own house.

Having worked at times in the Historic Buildings Section, the Improvement Action and Design Section and the Historic Environment (Archaeology) Section I have had a broad overview of the interaction of their functions.

For a list of projects click here.

Qualifications: (Most recent first).

Planning Track Record.

Since going freelance in May 2007 I have recorded and analysed about three sites a month. In the last seven years I have recorded over 80 each year.

Of these about 80% have been for the discharge of planning constraints. I am proud of my track record in that not one report has ever failed to meet the required standard and in general exceeds it. My reports are highly detailed and illustrated in full colour with quality artwork and high resolution photographs.

Based in Essex, I work in Essex, Herts, Kent, London, Cambs, Suffolk, Surrey and occasionally as far away as Bristol.

MSt.PA. From 2001 - 2002 the County Council funded me to undertake the Masters in Professional Archaeology, at Kellogg College, Oxford University. This year long course required the production of a 15 000 word thesis entitled 'Historic Ironwork Repairs to Timber-framed Buildings' an area of research that I had noted over the years had been almost totally neglected. The thesis was moderated by my tutor Dr Adam Menuge of English Heritage.

Dip.FA. From 1996 to 1999 I funded myself through the Post-graduate degree in Field Archaeology, run by Kellogg College, Oxford University. During this course I studied in depth most aspects of modern archaeology including written studies on legislation, publication, GIS based research and aerial photography. There were also practical courses in finds, photography, survey and recording including a week long historic building survey course covering on-site measured drawing and desk-top research. I gave illustrated talks on aspects of the history of Oxford and dating techniques in timber-framed buildings. My thesis was entitled 'Dowsing Archaeological Features - an Empirical Study at Cressing Temple, Essex.' This 15 000 word thesis explored the validity of dowsing archaeological features with rods comparing the results with unpublished remote-sensing surveys, excavation and aerial photography. The graphic results were illustrated using ArcView and Adobe Photoshop. The thesis also contained a detailed exploration of the history of dowsing and the archaeological and historical knowledge relevant to Cressing Temple. This section was incorporated into the official Cressing Temple website before it was dismantled.

HND Graphic Design (Archaeological Illustration). In 1987-1988 I attended Swindon College of Art and Design and attained an HND in Archaeological Illustration. The course centred on the skills needed to produce professional level archaeological drawings, paintings, reconstructions and photography. I passed with merits.

BSc.AeroEng. After leaving school in 1980 I spent four years at Kingston Polytechnic (Kingston-Upon-Thames) studying for a BSc honours degree in Aeronautical Engineering. This was a practically based course with emphasis on engineering design, draughtsmanship and advanced workshop skills. My personal thesis was the design and manufacture of a CNC controlled pneumatically operated turret for a small-scale lathe. My part in the group thesis was to specify the engine and fire-safety systems for a small fighter plane to supersede the Hawk. In my industrial training year I spent six months living and working in Paris having studied the french language for two years. I have managed to maintain a reasonable understanding of french.

Professional standards and guidance. (Institute for Archaeologists)
I am not a member of the IfA which up until recently was known as the Institute of Field Archaeologists and is a Limited Company not a Govt body. IfA is a professional organisation representing the interests of archaeology and archaeologists, which sets standards and issues guidelines for those working with the historic environment. I am not a member of IfA but as a practitioner I do adhere to and recognise the standards and guidance the organisation promotes. For information about the IfA see their website.

Continuous professional development (Most recent first).

In 2004 Essex County Council funded me through the Introductory Certificate in First Line Management, Standard Level 3. I passed the written exam with a mark of 94% and my work-based assignment entitled 'Overcoming Operational Difficulties at Cressing Temple: An Essex County Council Owned and Operated Heritage Site' earned a mark of 73%. Many of the recommendations in the document were adopted.

During my employment at County Hall I participated in dozens of in-house courses including IT courses in Access, Excel, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, ArcView, Exigesis, Gauss,ViewEssex, Outlook and Powerpoint. I have attended courses on Equal Opportunities. I passed the County driving test twice. I attended the fire marshals full and refresher courses.

I was a designated Fire marshal and I took the First Aid course. I have experience of working with lifting, climbing ladders and giving on-site safety instructions. I am familiar with the current lone working practices.

As part of the team I attended all of the Historic Buildings Seminars from 1997-2002 and I have participated on all the Historic Buildings Practical Skills courses with the exception of cob building and thatching. I took a course on finances for administrators covering the financial systems of the County Council for which my special project was the investigation of miscoding.

In 1988 -1990 I earned a place on the Graduate Enterprise Program run by Bristol University which was aimed at developing new businesses. The tuition centred on marketing, promotion, business planning and finances. I won a national prize for the Best Business Plan of 1989 awarded by Price Waterhouse and I used the business plan to secure finance to start my own limited company.

Experience of producing exhibitions and other publicity material.

I have written, designed and produced and built many exhibitions. I provided illustrations, maps and plans for the original Cressing Temple exhibition. I was involved in The Wheelwrights Shop, and I was solely responsible for The Forge, The Stables, Ploughs, The Well House, The Bakehouse, Seed machines and the Court Hall Archaeology Exhibition. (All at Cressing Temple).

I have designed and made large scale exhibitions for the County Mills at Aythorpe Roding, Thorrington, Finchingfield, Stock, and Mountnessing.
I have produced other large exhibitions for Stansted Airport, St Martin's Church, Cecil Hewitt, Thames Minerals Extraction Project, Great Wakering excavations. Architecture Week 2004. Finest Prospect - RSPB.
I have produced numerous information boards and poster designs notably for the Essex History Fair.

I have built models and 3D sets, Illustrated in colour and b/w plans, sections, finds, landscapes, reconstructions, information graphics. I have experience in printing, mounting and laminating large panels.

I have written, designed and implemented websites including Historic Buildings Section & Cressing Temple and I have interpreted, designed and implemented the RAMSAR and Finest Prospect websites. I am currently the webmaster of several websites.

Finally I represented the Section in newspaper articles, radio interviews and brief television appearances.

Experience of the production of both popular and professional publications.

I was involved in the production of materials for many of the Historic Buildings Section publications including: Advice to Listed Buildings Owners, Regional Variations in TFB down to 1550, Cressing Temple, A Templar & Hospitaller manor in Essex, Small Aisled Halls, Conservatories & Historic Buildings, Infill in Historic Areas.

I was a regular compiler and editor of the Historic Buildings section of the Quarterly Report . I was a regular contributor to EAA, CBA & Essex Arch & Hist publications over many years.

I have also done freelance magazine promotional work appearing in The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Radio Times, Spectator, The Times etc. as well as promotional catalogues, sales literature and leaflets and websites for commercial companies.

Experience of Administrative Projects.

For many years I ran the Historic Buildings Database for Listed Buildings right up to the point it was migrated into the central HER and thence to Images of England.

For three years I ran the Essex Amenity Award Scheme administering the scheme, organising the scheduling and producing the artwork for the presentations.

I was directly involved in the production of the Essex chapter of the Buildings at Risk Register for several years.

Experience of Church Work.

For several years I worked on projects associated with the Essex Diocesan Advisory Committee. In the main these were watching briefs on improvement works combined with some excavation and report writing. I also produced display panels for various small churches. I have undertaken many small scale watching briefs and trial trenching exercises for the improvement of churches.