Stonemasons sought to pass skills on to learners

Stonemasons are being sought to teach their craft in a bid to retain the skill in a region where it is in demand.

The Land and Nature Skills Service (LANSS), which is investigating rural and heritage skill provision in Cumbria, said although there were 25 stonemasonry businesses in the county, people had to travel "significant distances" to learn the trade.

Ulverston stonemason David Lamb said he had to move out aged 16 to train at Carlisle Cathedral and attend college in York.

The now 41-year-old said: "There are barriers to becoming a qualified stonemason, in finding someone that has the knowledge to teach and train you."

Stonemasonry is included on the UK Heritage Craft Red List, meaning it is at risk of disappearing because, although it is still needed, not enough people teach it.

Mr Lamb said he fell in love with the craft after watching stonemasons at work on TV show Time Team.

He secured a Saturday job with a local stonemason as a youngster, and then moved to Carlisle for a formal apprenticeship.

That was the closest place he could find, although it was at the other end of the county from where he lived.

LANSS said only three colleges in the UK taught a Stonemason Level 2 apprenticeship.

The organisation has the support of local colleges to deliver the qualification in Cumbria, it said, but needs to find local employers.

Geneve Brand, from LANSS, said: "It's surprising how lacking the training provision is in some cases, even at a national level, with learners having to travel significant distances for certain apprenticeships."

She added there was a "real need" for the skill in Cumbria, which was mostly rural and home to the Lake District National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mr Lamb, who has worked on buildings around the world including cathedrals, said although an apprenticeship took about three years, it would need about seven years to really hone the skill.

He said: "It's a lot of muscle memory, you're basically learning to control your chisels, but it involves all your senses, there's a lot going on."

He said stone appealed to him for its enduring qualities, which took time and patience to carve and work with.

"You make something beautiful and usually purposeful, so it ticks all the boxes for me," he said.

As well as working on conservation and restoration projects, he delivers training in stonemasonry in Africa and India.

He said the importance of stonemasonry really came to light when the Notre Dame Cathedral was hit by a devastating fire in 2019.

It reopened after extensive renovation at the end of 2024.

"The difference with somewhere like in France is they've still got a strong trade and apprentice training programme," Mr Lamb said.

"The fact that they've been able to do the work that they've done in five years is absolutely phenomenal and could we match that? Absolutely not."

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