FASS Internship Student Story

We caught up with Andrew, who has just completed his internship with the National Trust. Andrew is a MA History student.

Why did you choose to undertake an internship?

I chose the internship to give me the experience of working in the heritage sector to complement work I had already done as a Community Heritage Manager with Lancashire County Council and also the academic work I had undertaken on a work placement with the National Trust during my History MA. I also wanted to work on an interesting and compelling subject matter and continue doing historic research.

Please briefly describe your internship role:

My internship role was essentially taking up research on behalf of the National Trust and writing up documents and compiling spreadsheets which collated and detailed the results of this research. Initially, this related to the subject of the gifting of Scafell Pike and Great Gable as War Memorials following the end of WWI. This tied in with the Trust’s centenary commemorations for WWI and was used to inform their work in this regard. An additional similar task followed on relating to the area around Aira Force which is owned by the Trust and the research was related to conservation work in the area.

How would you summarise your internship experience?

The internship experience was very positive and worked very well for me. It provided me with contact with curators and other staff in the Trust who were directing and undertaking research and also gave me the freedom to work on the research in my own time around my other commitments.

What did you like most about your internship?

The aspect I most enjoyed was undertaking research into fascinating subjects. I also have a long-standing interest in and awareness of the Lake District which gave added interest to the work.

Has this internship helped you decide on the next steps of your career?

I am currently planning to carry on my MA studies and begin a PhD at Lancaster. The Internship certainly confirmed that I have the aptitude and interest to continue pursuing historical research which will continue in my future studies. It has also given me more credibility in terms of applying for and undertaking similar projects in the future. I have also recently researched on a freelance basis for an HLF project based in Preston.

Andrew Walmsley

Andrew Walmsley, MA History student