Surveying Insights: The History of the Profession with Professor Carl Chinn MBE and Suki Bell FRICS #215

The RICS Podcast

The RICS Podcast
Surveying Insights: The History of the Profession with Professor Carl Chinn MBE and Suki Bell FRICS #215
Oct 27, 2025 Episode 215
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Surveying is a rich profession with a long-spanning, illustrious history that stretches back to medieval times, and it’s a key area of focus for Professor Carl Chinn MBE.

This special episode of The RICS Podcast delves into the roots of the profession, as Professor Chinn MBE shares with Suki Bell FRICS his findings on how surveying has evolved across generations, and the key figures who’ve influenced the industry as we know it today.

This episode of The RICS Podcast covers:

  • The historical origins of surveying, tracing back to early medieval land surveys
  • The evolution of surveying techniques and tools, notably the use of plane tables and the role of engravers in creating maps
  • The professionalisation and diversification of surveying in the 18th and 19th centuries
  • The pioneering contributions of female surveyors like Irene Martin and Evelyn Perry

Suki Bell FRICS

https://www.linkedin.com/in/suki-bell-frics-chair-of-the-rics-lpa-birmingham-44695620/

Professor Carl Chinn MBE

https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-carl-chinn-mbe-7577441b4/

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors:

https://www.rics.org/uk/

RICS Podcast Page

https://www.rics.org/podcast/

Kieran Halliwell

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdhalliwell/

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