Becky Harvey

My interest in history has always been about people – from my first ‘Kings and Queens’ sticker book to studying the history of the body at university, I’ve been fascinated by people, culture and social change. For me our places are rich with the experiences of the people who lived and worked there.

I studied History at university before taking a postgraduate degree in Museum Studies. Working in museums for six years gave me experience of managing, caring for and displaying objects, planning great visitor experiences and working with local communities and volunteers.

I’ve been lucky to work with a variety of collections from social history to costume, world cultures to fine art. This breadth has stood me in good stead for the wide-ranging remit of a curator at the National Trust.

At the Trust, Curators work across all aspects of a property including collections and interiors, buildings, gardens and landscapes. Recently I have been helping to plan a new carpet for the staircase at Canons Ashby and advising on the interior design of a new café at Charlecote Park.

Over the coming years I am excited to work with the beautiful textile collections held by the Trust. I am also keen to explore the stories behind our places, such as Staunton Harold Church – built in the 1650s as a symbol of protest during the rule of Oliver Cromwell.

Carrying out research offers new ways to interpret our places. At Calke Abbey we are exploring stories of isolation and loneliness, kindness and compassion, past and present. New archival research means that many of these moving stories will be shared at Calke for the first time.