Stonehenge Visitor Centre - photo credit Mark Hooper
About
Architrave Historical Services is run by historian, author, curator and broadcaster Dr Simon Thurley CBE to provide expert advice to owners of important historical architecture and their collections on a wide range of historical issues.
Architrave is a history and heritage consultancy run by Simon Thurley previously chief executive of English Heritage (2003-2015), director of the Museum of London (1996-2003) and curator and surveyor of the fabric at Historic Royal Palaces (1988-1996).
Simon Thurley and his colleagues, many of whom he has worked with for a decade or more, have unrivalled expertise and practical experience of dealing with important historic buildings and interiors and their collections.
Architrave advises on planning and listed building issues, conservation and restoration, display and exhibitions, historic interiors and interior design, collections and collection development as well as business consultancy on buildings, estates and museums operated as visitor attractions.
Client Portfolio
| Royal Collection Trust | Theatre Royal Haymarket | Treasure Houses of England, UK | Castle Howard Estate, Yorkshire |
| The Chitra Collection, London | Turuthna Muscat, Oman | Elveden Estate, Suffolk | Theatre Royal Drury Lane |
| Trent Park Estate, Middlesex | CSI Properties, Hong Kong | Ministry of Justice | Crosby Hall |
| Lloyd-Webber Theatres | Really Useful Theatre Group | Access Entertainment | Harrods |
| Norfolk Archaeological Trust | Hever Castle | Wing Tai Properties | Medina Development Authority |
Team
Simon Thurley
CBE, PHD, FSA, FRHISTS, FRIBA
Managing Director
Simon Thurley is a leading historian of English architecture, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research in London and Gresham Professor of the Built Environment. For 13 years he was chief executive of English Heritage, the national heritage agency responsible for heritage protection and the management of England’s National Heritage Collection of 420 sites and monuments including Stonehenge. Before that he was director of the Museum of London. He has written twelve books and made many television programmes about historic buildings.
Chezzy Brownen
Project Manager
Chezzy is an experienced museum Registrar and exhibitions Project Manager working for museums, art galleries and country house collections. She has worked for the National Trust, where she was Registrar for over 300 houses across the UK, as well as Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham. More recently, she was the Consultant Registrar for Harewood House Trust on a museum accreditation project. Chezzy was previously the Museum Development Officer for Bath and North East Somerset representing 38 museums and heritage organisations. In addition, she worked on a project to provide recommendations for Bath in response to a UNESCO World Heritage Site report on the city.
Tori Reeve
Freelance Curator
Until 2016 Tori Reeve was Chief Curator at Leeds Castle, Kent one of the Treasure Houses of England. Before that she was the Principal of Interior Design and Furnishing at the Palace of Westminster and Curator of Collections and Special projects at English Heritage. As well as masterminding new displays at Leeds Castle Tori led the major Charles Darwin Exhibition at Down House and a ground-breaking presentation project at Kenilworth Castle. For architrave Tori has played a leading part in work at Castle Howard, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Trent Park Mansion.
Kate Francis
Administration
Kate is an experienced administrator with a background in project management, organisational development, human resources and marketing in the UK public and charitable sectors.