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  • meet-the-team
  1. About us
  2. Who we are
  3. Meet the team

Meet the team

With over 40 staff working for the Vindolanda Trust, we are one of the larger employers in the Tyne Valley. We employ full and part time staff in many roles including customer service staff, Grounds man and caretakers at both Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum. The Leadership team are supported by Archaeologists, event co-ordinator, a stonemason and our admin team.

Hundreds of volunteers assist the Trust achieve our aims and objective annually, our volunteer guides, museum volunteers, activity volunteers and excavation volunteers are part of the Vindolanda Team and help us continue to help us tell the stories of Roman Britain on the Edge of the Empire.

Barbara Birley

Curator

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The Roman objects from Vindolanda are Barbara’s main focus and she takes great pride in conserving, cataloguing, interpreting and displaying them for the general public who visit both Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum. She also oversees the Trust’s education and learning programme, Heritage Guiding Programme and Museum Volunteers.

In 1999, Barbara moved to Northumberland from her native Colorado and officially joined the Trust’s team. Prior to that she had spent two seasons as a Vindolanda excavation volunteer.

Barbara also enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering for the Scouts, reading, visiting other sites and museums and enjoying the local countryside.

Published: 28th February, 2019

Updated: 28th March, 2019

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Sonya Galloway

Communications Manager

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Sonya is a third generation member of the Birley family working at Vindolanda.  Sonya returned to Northumberland in 2010 after a 15 year posting north of the Wall.

As Communications Manager for the Trust Sonya promotes the work of the Trust to the wider world, arranges access for filming, creates our press releases and looks after our Social Media channels. It is unlikely that you will ever see Sonya without her iphone, camera or both in her hand! 

Published: 28th February, 2019

Updated: 14th March, 2019

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Dr Andrew Birley, FSA, FSA Scot

CEO / Director of Excavations / Chair of Research Committee

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Andrew is the third generation of Birley’s to work as the Director of excavations for the Vindolanda Trust after his father Dr Robin Birley and grandfather Professor Eric Birley. He is the nephew of Professor Anthony Birley.

Andrew started excavating at the site as a teenager and then got his undergraduate degree and PhD from the University of Leicester. He has worked at the site in a full-time capacity since 1996, becoming director of Excavations in 2005 and CEO in 2015, taking over from Patricia Birley in that role.

A former Chair of the Archaeology Committee for the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies he is widely published on Vindolanda and the Roman frontier in Britain.  

Published: 28th February, 2019

Updated: 28th March, 2019

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Colin Galloway

Deputy CEO

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Colin takes great prides in leading the customer service teams at both museums and working with the leadership team to provide the best possible experience for visitors to Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum. He works closely with Andrew to continue evolving the Trust and managing the budget.

Colin joined the Trust in 2010, after fifteen years working in the airline Industry, the opportunity to relocate to Northumberland allows him to combine his passions for Customer Service, Heritage and the outdoors.

When he’s not working, you can find him enjoying time with his family either on the golf course, at the side of football pitch or walking their dog in the Northumberland countryside.

Published: 28th February, 2019

Updated: 17th April, 2019

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Patricia Birley MBE. FSA. DL

Head of Impact Committee

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Having initially taught in state schools, I joined the Vindolanda Charitable Trust in the 1970’s as a museum curator and artefact conservator, including the Vindolanda Writing Tablets. I subsequently, after acquiring business and finance management skills, became the Trust’s Deputy Director in 1980. In this capacity I assisted with, and then project managed numerous Vindolanda projects with Robin Birley, the Trust’s Director. This included the foundation and development of the Roman Army Museum at Carvoran on Hadrian’s Wall. 

In 2001 succeeded Robin Birley as the Trust’s Director and took responsibility for the administration, compliance and strategic development of the Trust. I successfully applied for external funding and managed several major Vindolanda projects, including a £6.3 million HLF/ RDA funded building and refurbishment development covering the Trust’s two archaeological sites and museums, until my retirement as Director in 2015.

I have previously served my local community over many years as a town councillor, a representative on various sub committees, a Chair of School Governors, a Chair of an LEA Education Appeals Panel and as the Chair of the Northumberland Lord Lieutenant’s Advisory Committee.

I remain a Deputy Lieutenant and currently serve the Vindolanda Trust as the Chair of its Impact and Development Advisory Committee.

Published: 1st March, 2019

Updated: 18th April, 2019

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Penny Trichler

Events Co-ordinator and Site Archaeologist

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Penny has studied archaeology to Masters level at university and throughout her time there made regular visits to Vindolanda as an excavation volunteer. When the opportunity came up in 2017 to become a member of the Vindolanda Trust team for a placement year, she made the move from Oxfordshire to Northumberland. Whilst in her first role at the Trust, she applied for the job of Activities Officer as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Wooden Underworld Project and extension to the museum.

Penny now enjoys splitting her time between working within the Events Team, coordinating activities and events that happen at both Roman Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum and being on site during the excavations and supervising the volunteers.

Outside of work Penny is currently challenging herself to learn British Sign Language.

Published: 5th March, 2019

Updated: 18th March, 2022

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Marta Alberti

Deputy Director of Excavations

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Marta joined the Trust in 2015 to assist in the supervision of the excavations as well as the delivery of the rich research program that the Trust pursues. Her day to day tasks range from teaching field excavation, recording and surveying techniques to volunteers to processing the data collected through excavation and working on publications.

Her specialist subjects are textile implements on the frontier and their relationship to female identity, as well as volunteer participation to archaeology on Hadrian’s Wall. On the latter subject she is pursuing a part-time PhD at Newcastle University.

When she is not digging, studying or writing she can be found reading a fiction book or cooking a delicious Italian meal.

Published: 5th March, 2019

Updated: 18th March, 2022

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Showing 10 of 7

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Carved stone depicting mystery horseman uncovered.

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A beautifully carved sandstone relief which depicts a naked male figure holding a spear stood in front of a horse/donkey has been uncovered during the annual excavations at the Roman fort of Vindolanda near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. Read more

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Author: Sonya Galloway

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