A prominent estate agency has welcomed a new graduate to its team.

H&H Land & Estates, which is also an agricultural land agent and valuer, has appointed Leanne Graves as a graduate surveyor, who will be based in its Carlisle office.

Leanne's career started at Dalcour Maclaren, where she worked for five years on major infrastructure projects such as the National Grid North West Connection Project and the Orsted Hornsea Offshore Windfarm Project Four.

Born and raised on the family’s dairy farm in High Hesket, Leanne is used to the demands of the farming way of life.

She is a former assistant gamekeeper on the Bowes Moor Estate.

Educated in Carlisle and with a degree from Harper Adams University, Leanne is now working towards her professional chartered surveying qualifications and full membership of RICS and CAAV.

Leanne said: “I am thrilled to join the team as graduate chartered surveyor.

"To further my career and while working in parallel on my RICS qualification, I was very keen to move into rural surveying.

"I have gained a great deal of commercial experience in my previous role in the utility sector, but I am looking forward to bringing my career and agricultural background together.”

Thomas Armstrong, director at H&H Land & Estates, said: “As a business, we are very focused on supporting the next generation of rural surveyors, and Leanne’s enthusiasm for all things rural will be a valuable addition to the team."