I live in the Buckinghamshire Chilterns, surrounded by the AONB (Area of Outstanding  Natural Beauty). My geographical area of research is on my doorstep, which means I have easy access to the landscape that I am studying.

I work full time and am almost half way through my part time PhD research, which divides into two parts.  Firstly, in recognition of a gap in our knowledge of the extent of the waste in this part of the country, I am seeking to establish its acreage pre-1800 in a selected area of the Buckinghamshire Chilterns.  My study area consists of 46 parishes and I have just completed mapping all the waste that I have confirmed was extant c1650. The second part of my research is to investigate, via a series of case studies, the mechanisms surrounding the loss and survival of specific areas of waste within the study area.

I am interested in the multiplicity of issues surrounding the loss and survival of common land (waste).

Common land in the Chilterns; survival and loss

My first career was in nursing followed by working within the DHSS. I then spent time within a family business, overseeing large international projects. More recently, my full time job entails working with most of the secondary schools within Buckinghamshire. I completed the MSc in Local History at the University of Oxford in 2007.