Trustees
Michael Motum (Chair)
Mike is a former Army officer and is now retired from being Regimental Secretary West of The Rifles. He is a Trustee of The Somerset Military Museum and is also involved with other local and military-related charities. He was appointed a DL of Somerset in 2012.
Abby Bryant
Abby is an archaeologist and heritage professional with more than 20 years’ experience living and working in Somerset. She is the Chief Commercial Officer at Wessex Archaeology, one of the UK’s leading commercial archaeology companies and a heritage charity with a strong educational mission. Abby has extensive experience in strategic leadership, working with trustees and forging partnerships. She is particularly passionate about the role heritage plays in shaping places and connecting people with their past.
Amy Carrillo
As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Amy has extensive experience in people management within the public and private sectors. She currently holds the position of Chief People Officer at the UK Hydrographic Office based in Taunton.
Cllr Simon Clist
Simon serves as the nominated trustee of Devon County Council.
Gloria Craig, CB
Gloria formerly worked in central government, where she held a variety of high-level roles. She has wide management experience, including of Human Resources, finance, and health and safety issues, and has served as a trustee with several other not-for-profit organisations. She was appointed a DL of Somerset in 2019.
Prof. Henry French
Henry has been Professor of Social History at the University of Exeter since 2009. His main areas of historical research are British social and economic history 1600-1840, British gender history 1600-1900, and British agrarian history 1500-1900.
David Gwyther
David is the former Director of Social Services at Somerset County Council. Since 2005 he has been an independent consultant working nationally for local authorities, health organisations and businesses.
Jill Loader
Jill grew up in East Devon but has lived in Somerset for the past 20 years. She has a background in the not-for-profit sector and in fundraising and volunteer support. She was for several years the National Volunteer Engagement Manager of the Rugby Football Union.
Sandy Maberley
Sandy is Artistic Director and CEO of Theatre Mélange, with extensive working knowledge as a leader in the professional arts and culture sector. She was formerly a member of Arts Council England’s Drama Advisory Panel.
Ivor Thomas
Ivor was brought up and lives in Devon and owns a small farm on the eastern slopes of Dartmoor. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and has spent much of his career in tunnel construction.
Stuart Windsor
Stuart grew up in North Devon and is now an Executive Director and member of the Board of University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust based at Derriford Hospital. He is responsible for the hospital estate and facilities. He has been a trustee of several charities and is currently a board member and treasurer of the Devon Family History Society.
Cllr Ros Wyke
Ros serves as the nominated trustee of Somerset Council, where she is Lead Member for Economic Development, Planning and Assets. Following an international business career, she was a non-executive director in the NHS for nearly 20 years. She served as a member of the former Mendip District Council from 2015, latterly as its Leader.
Professor Ania Zalewska
Ania is Professor of Finance in the School of Economics, Finance and Accounting at the University of Leicester. She has wide-ranging research interests and has published extensively.
Management Team
Sam Astill – Chief Executive Officer
Sam took up his role as CEO of the Trust in January 2024. He previously held the position of Head of Museums and Engagement. He has worked on major projects including the redevelopment of the Museum of Somerset and had a leading role in developing the interpretative content for the Somerset Rural Life Museum. Sam is a graduate of the Museums and Resilient Leadership Programme (MRL).
Bob Croft – Head of Historic Environment
Bob was appointed County Archaeologist for Somerset in 1986 and has worked on a wide range of archaeological projects in the county over the past 30 years. They have spanned the discovery of important Roman villas sites through to recent work associated with the development of Hinkley Point power station. Bob is now Head of Historic Environment and Estates for the Trust.
Dylan Edgar – Head of Development and Partnerships
Dylan leads the Trust’s commercial activity and partnership development work. With a background originally in archaeology and computing science, his career has spanned the cultural and commercial sectors. Before joining the Trust in 2025, Dylan spent many years in a global role at PwC, where he specialised in digital learning innovation and the application of emerging technologies – including Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. Earlier in his career, he held technical roles in public libraries, museums, and also the wider commercial sector.
Tricia Gardner-Harper – Head of Finance and Governance
Tricia is a Fellow Member of the Associations of Accounting Technicians and a part qualified Management Accountant who joined the Trust in 2015 as the Finance Manager. She has over 14 years’ experience of charity accounting and the challenges that the sector face. Tricia has overall professional responsibility for the financial running of the Trust, including recommending annual budgets to the Trustees, operating financial controls and supporting budget holders and project managers.
Estelle Gilbert – Head of Museums and Engagement
Estelle leads the Museums and Learning Service and is the Trust’s strategic lead for engagement, a role she took up in 2024. She has previously worked as a Curator, Museum Manager and Strategic Development Manager and has a background in managing a variety of projects including serving as Project Manager for the redevelopment of the Somerset Rural Life Museum. Estelle is a graduate of the Oxford Women’s Leadership Development Programme and the Oxford Cultural Leaders Programme (OCL).
Esther Hoyle – Head of Somerset Archives and Local Studies
Esther started her career in archives at the Borthwick Institute at the University of York, before joining the Somerset Record Office in 2003 as Archivist (North Somerset). From 2007 she delivered learning, engagement and projects for Somerset Archives and Local Studies, most recently in the role of Archives Engagement Manager. Esther has been in her current role since March 2024.