My name is Rob Scourfield, and I established Scourfield Consultancy in 2012.

I have been closely involved with the built heritage of Wales in both my career, and formative years. I have a close knowledge of the buildings of Wales in terms of both what is special, and what is regionally typical. This knowledge is grounded academically in B.A. and M.A. degrees in architectural history from Reading University, and the Courtauld Institute of Art. Practically, this is based on several years of research and visiting buildings across Wales as author of a number of Pevsner guides including Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion and Powys, and researcher for Gwent/Monmouthshire.

I have been Building Conservation Officer for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for over 20 years, and previously was an inspector of monuments and historic buildings at Cadw. Prior to that, I was employed in the Cadw resurvey of listed buildings in Wales (from 1994), surveying areas of Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. I am a member of St Davids Diocesan Advisory Committee and Cathedral Fabric Advisory Committee, and am a trustee of the Welsh Religious Buildings Trust.

I am very familiar with the legislation and guidance on the built heritage of Wales, and relevant designations, and am able to give advice on such for applications for statutory consents, and grants. In terms of listed buildings, I am one of only four conservation officers across Wales to have delegated status from Cadw to process listed building applications.  I am used to analyzing buildings both in terms of their structural history and architectural/historical importance and am accustomed to undertaking background research using primary and secondary sources, and preparing reports for a variety of clients.

Professional Memberships

• Full member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC)
• Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA)
• Member of the St Davids Diocesan Advisory Committee
• Member of the St Davids Cathedral Faculty Advisory Committee
• Trustee of the Welsh Religious Buildings Trust

Publications

• The Buildings of Wales: Pembrokeshire (2004, with J. Orbach and T. Lloyd)
• The Buildings of Wales: Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion (2006, with J. Orbach and T. Lloyd)
• The Buildings of Wales: Powys (2014)
• Down the Quay (2007, with K. Johnson)
• Below the Landsker (2008, with K. Johnson)

I have also contributed chapters to the Pembrokeshire County History, the History of Haverfordwest, the Journal of the Architectural Historians.

I have lectured and talked extensively on a range of topics, including historic buildings, local history, and the Pembrokeshire dialect.

A little more about me!

I am avidly interested in local history and genealogy in my native Pembrokeshire, where my family has lived for many centuries. I enjoy spending as much time as I can in my garden, and walking in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, in which I am fortunate to live. I enjoy socializing in my local pub, and at the other extreme, am a Deacon at our local Baptist Chapel (Pisgah, Cresswell Quay). When not at home, I can be found exploring Britain, armed with the relevant volume of Pevsner.