Heather Dontenville

Heather studied Medieval Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL, while volunteering with Guildford Museum’s rescue archaeology unit, and went on to a variety of roles within built heritage conservation. Projects with RCHME in Swindon and RCAHMS in Edinburgh developed skills in database standards and GIS systems, from working on digitisation of printed assets such as Listed Building Registers to taking to the streets of Glasgow to identify and plot the locations of long-gone buildings. Time with English Heritage in Savile Row and working on the restoration of the Albert Memorial provided experience in the literal nuts and bolts of built heritage conservation. Using the IT skills developed in these roles Heather went on to run her own business before taking time out to raise her family.

Heather works in the Environmental Science department and her core roles are flotation and retent sorting, supported by administration to check in samples arriving from site and tracking their progress through the system from bucket to sorted sample. This experience helped Heather gain her PCIfA in 2024. She is currently developing skills in identifying the smallest flora and fauna that occur in samples.