Freya de Lisle is a newly qualified stonemason who recently completed a four-year apprenticeship at York Minster, working full time within the cathedral’s stoneyard under the Church of England diocese. Her work is divided between the workshop and site, where she collaborates with around twelve colleagues. Freya’s practice encompasses banker masonry, fixer masonry, stone carving, and conservation.
With QEST support, Freya will undertake further training to broaden her technical and artistic abilities. This includes lost wax carving in bronze with Abigail Burt, lettercutting in stone with QEST Scholar Lisi Ashbridge, a dry-stone walling course at Landmark Walling, a clay workshop with QEST Scholar Andrian Melka, and marble carving with Simon Burns-Cox.
These courses will deepen Freya’s understanding of sculpture, mould making, and fine carving, skills vital for heritage restoration and creative expression. Committed to a lifelong career in stonemasonry, Freya aims to contribute to the safeguarding of historic sites while helping address the sector’s skills shortage by passing on her knowledge to future apprentices.
