When I joined Turley straight from university, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what heritage consultancy involved. A year on, I've realised it's a much broader, more varied and rewarding profession than I imagined. For anyone who's ever wondered "what does a heritage consultant actually do?", here's what I've learned during my first year at Turley and some of the things that have surprised me most about the profession.
What is a heritage consultant?
A heritage consultant is a specialist who assesses the significance of heritage assets and advises on how change, including new development, can sustain and enhance the historic environment.
Heritage assets include listed buildings, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, gardens and designed landscapes, historic battlefields, and archaeological remains.
Our role is to understand what makes places or heritage assets significant and to help ensure that change is informed by that understanding. Over the past year, I have learned that this involves everything from researching a site's history to advising on how development proposals respond positively to their historic context.
At its heart, heritage consultancy is about sustaining and enhancing the significance of our historic environment and quality of townscapes and landscapes, whilst promoting change and the creation of successful places.
Rather than preventing development, we help ensure that development is informed by an understanding of what already exists and why it matters.
What have I learned?
Looking back on my first year in practice, there are a number of things that have surprised me about the profession.
1) Heritage is much more than historic buildings
In the past year alone, I have worked on projects involving a diverse range of heritage assets, from prehistoric stone circles dating back thousands of years to Euston Station. The variety of projects I have worked on have showcased a wide range of challenges and required different ways of understanding significance.
2) The earlier heritage advice is provided, the more valuable it becomes
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is the importance of considering heritage assets at the earliest stages of a project. Understanding which heritage assets may be affected by change, and how they may be affected, helps to identify opportunities and constraints early in the process. This can help shape design proposals from the outset and reduce planning risk later on.
3) Heritage doesn't exist in isolation
Heritage consultancy sits alongside a whole range of other specialist services including architecture, planning, landscape architecture, urban design and engineering. Our role contributes to a wider conversation about how change can be effectively delivered.
Working within our Heritage, Townscape and Landscape team has been particularly valuable because it has helped me understand how heritage, landscape and townscape often overlap. Considering these factors together provides a broader and more nuanced understanding of place, helping to inform better outcomes for development and communities.
4) The setting of heritage assets
I used to think the only thing contributing to a heritage asset's significance was the asset itself. I've since learned that setting is equally important. A heritage asset's significance is often influenced by its wider surroundings, including views, spatial relationships, landscape context and its contribution to the character of a town or city. These relationships can help us understand why an asset was located where it is, how it functioned historically, and how it was intended to be viewed and experienced.
However, setting does not always contribute positively to significance. Modern development, the loss of historic relationships, or intrusive features can sometimes diminish our ability to understand and appreciate a heritage asset. Where this has occurred, development can also present opportunities for enhancement. Through thoughtful design, public realm improvements, or the removal of detracting features, it is often possible to better reveal and reinforce significance.
5) Heritage is increasingly important in sustainable development
Perhaps the most important lesson I've learned is that heritage has a significant role to play in delivering sustainable development. Across Scotland, there is an increasing focus on the reuse and adaptation of existing buildings. Retaining and repurposing historic structures not only helps conserve heritage significance but can also reduce waste and embodied carbon when compared with demolition and rebuilding.
More recently, I have also been surprised by the extent to which heritage considerations influence the delivery of renewable energy projects, including wind farms and solar developments. Before joining the profession, this was not a connection I had fully appreciated. These projects play an important role in the transition to net zero, but they must also be carefully designed to ensure that impacts on the historic environment are understood and appropriately managed.
Heritage consultancy is about helping manage change in a way that responds to what makes places special, balancing the needs of today whilst ensuring historic places remain relevant and valued for future generations. Looking back on my first year, I've learnt that no two projects are the same. It has also highlighted the breadth of heritage consultancy and the unique opportunity it provides to support sustainable development while helping to understand, protect and celebrate the significance of the historic environment.
Based in our Edinburgh office, Christabel is part of our Heritage, Townscape and Landscape team, who support clients across the UK. To find out more about the services we provide, visit our Heritage, Townscape and Landscape service page.
23 October 2026
