Team

Andrew Arrol has life-long experience of historic building repair and conservation work and has been involved with many demanding projects with Grade I, Grade II* and Scheduled Monument Status. He has worked on buildings of many different periods, styles and construction methods and is particularly conversant with the conservation of medieval masonry structures. Andrew is Surveyor to the Fabric for York Minster where he is currently undertaking a £20 million project involving large-scale repair of the Minster’s east end and a major reorganisation of visitor and worshipper facilities. As Cathedral Architect at Chester, he has designed and built a large new extension to the cathedral, constructed above medieval cloisters to form a Song School and music library for the cathedral.

Andrew is thoroughly familiar with archaeological principles, procedures and with recording and surveying processes including in-depth quinquennial inspections and reports and the preparation of conservation plans. He is an active member of many of the professional associations and amenity societies that concern themselves with the philosophy and developing technology of good repair and practice.

After leaving Shrewsbury School, Rob gained a BA Hons Degree in Architectural Studies from Oxford Polytechnic. He has forty years’ experience in the construction industry and has been with Arrol Architects for some thirty years.

He has gained expertise in all aspects of the conservation of historic buildings including major country houses such as Cholmondeley Castle, Cound Hall, Combermere Abbey, Longford Hall, along with many other important churches and Listed buildings. He has been involved with repair and conservation of several Listed timber framed buildings in Shrewsbury and was project leader for the repair of the north aisle roof at St. Mary’s Church, Westbury, which received an RIBA Conservation Commendation.

He has also been involved in many other projects involving heritage sites.

Rob worked at Lincoln Castle for nearly ten years. “Lincoln Castle Revealed” was a £22M County Council and Heritage Lottery Funded project which repaired the entire castle and created a visitor attraction around the Victorian Prison, a new exhibition space for Magna Carta and a the Heritage Skills Centre: a new contemporary building built within the grounds of the Castle to teach traditional building skills, the first new building in the Castle for 150 years. Since the completion in 2015, he has been retained to carry out a series of follow-on projects.

He has also been involved in many residential projects – both conversion and new build and is particularly interested in contemporary structures in the historic environment.

Whilst in Lincoln, he was invited to lecture and tutor at the School of Architecture at the University. He was also involved in organising local arts and music events.

His interests include art, music, travelling, cooking and sport.

During his time working at Arrol Architects, Ben has gained a vast amount of knowledge of conservation techniques including, slating and roofing, leadwork and brickwork. Ben has also developed a knowledge of Planning, Listed Building and Conservation Area Consents, working with local authority’s to achieve an out come which is both practical and to the clients brief.

Ben has worked with senior members of staff to create drawings and documentation from feasibility, right through to comprehensive construction documentation. He has been involved with the recently completed 11 and 12 Belmont project which was the conversion of a Grade II Listed Building into residential accommodation for the Cathedral staff and Café for visitors. During this project there was various times in which the design team was required to provide workable solutions to problems which the contractors found on site during the construction program.

Ben has demonstrated project management experience running smaller projects within the office such as The Cottages Baschurch: A 400 year old property within a Conservation Area, with works to remove a 20th century garage and construct a modern extension to be considerate to it’s heritage surroundings; and Oak Street, Shrewsbury: A 1950’s property located within a Conservation Area with various extensions and works to the principal elevation in the form of the Arts and Crafts architectural style.