A writer, historian and curator, Dr Anna Keay OBE is also the Director of the Landmark Trust and a specialist in 17th-century British history. We are delighted she is joining the Pilgrim Trust as a Trustee. Below we share some insights into Anna’s work and why she joined us.
Anna’s career in heritage began in 1996 when she worked as a curator for Historic Royal Palaces. She then went on to work as the Properties Presentation Director at English Heritage and joined the Landmark Trust, one of Britain’s leading building conservation charities as Director in 2012.
In Anna’s other work, she is well known for her books and appearances in TV documentaries. Anna shared that she is ‘an enthusiast for our history and its material remains in all its periods and variety’ but is a specialist in the 17th century. She has published several books about this century, including The Restless Republic: Britain without a Crown; The Magnificent Monarch: Charles II, the Ceremonies of Power and more.
You may have also spotted Anna on TV where she presented several documentaries – notably the six-part Channel 4 series about the Landmark Trust Restoring Britain’s Landmarks that aired in autumn 2015. More recently, she presented a programme about the rescue of Cobham Dairy entitled £1 Million Restoration: Historic House Rescue.
Anna told us she wanted to become a Trustee for the Pilgrim Trust, because ‘it is a force for good in the world’. Her hope is to bring ‘experience and familiarity of buildings, heritage and collections across the UK’ to her role, and advise on ‘the challenges of managing historic buildings and collections in a financially sustainable way’. Anna has much experience in Trusteeship, being a Trustee of the Royal Collection Trust, as well as other leadership roles, such as Non-Executive Director of Big Yellow Group PLC and an Ambassador of the Weald & Downland Living Museum.
We warmly welcome Anna to the Pilgrim Trust and invite you to follow her on Twitter @AnnaLandmark to learn more about her work.