This new blog series highlights the inspiring achievements of the graduates of our MSc in Architectural Conservation at Kent. In today’s post, we feature Nicci Obholzer, a 2017 graduate, who is now the Senior Collections and House Officer at the National Trust, working at the iconic Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Nicci shares her exciting journey from studying in Canterbury to her current role with the National Trust:
“I was a little nervous when I joined the Architectural Conservation MSc course at Kent. I was not an architect, surveyor, or structural engineer; instead, my first degree was in Politics, Philosophy and History and I went on to work in the House of Lords and the Freud Museum. Taking a long career-break to raise children, I wanted to take a course that was more vocational and focussed, but nonetheless reflected my interest in history.
The breadth of the course was fantastic: from architectural history (my favourite), to the conservation/ restoration debates, to the more technical, scientific elements to make sure your building does not fall down! This latter element I found the most difficult, not being an especially mathsy person, but I got by! My final dissertation was on the history of restoration and renewal at the Palace of Westminster.
Once I had graduated with a Merit in the MSc (damn that gravity essay on a Gothic load bearing arch!), I began to look around for jobs. I got an interview as an inspector of churches for the Church of England. I was very nervous – it was my first interview in 17 years! – and I wasn’t offered the job. I began to volunteer at Smallhythe Place, a National Trust property on the Kent / Sussex borders. Soon a job came up there, and my fascination with building phases of this extraordinary 15th/ 16th century building, together with my knowledge and understanding of the collection there of Victorian actress, Ellen Terry, because of my volunteering, meant I got the job. I haven’t looked back.
I now work at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, where I’m responsible for the upkeep of the buildings as well as caring, interpreting and curating the collection of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson. I would not have this wonderful job had I not got my Architectural Conservation masters, so I will ever be thankful to Nikolaos Karydis and Manolo Guerci for accepting me onto the course and for propelling me towards my new career.”
