Gentleman Jack: Ten tonnes of stone to be used to create tribute to Anne Lister

Lister was a force of nature, earning her the unkind nickname of Gentleman Jack, which in turn inspired a TV series of the same name.

Now a group of all-female traditional stone specialists are creating a tribute to the diarist, industrialist and landowner whose life inspired the hit series.

Natural stone supplier Traditional Stone is working with the team of six from the Women’s International Stone Alliance, which includes specialists from Italy, Ireland, the UK and United States.

The month-long project will see three monoliths created connected by dry stone walls, complete with carvings. Ten tonnes of stone will be used, along with coping stones and carving stone donated by Wakefield-based Traditional Stone, while 10 tonnes of building stone donated by Simon Lumb will go into making the dry stone walls.

Calderdale Council is supporting the project by transporting the stone to Shibden Hall and preparing the site.

The monument has been designed by David Griffiths to reflect the strength of Lister and her love of landscapes and the mining industry. The carvings include an extract from her diaries.

Project leader Emma Knowles said: “There are so few women working in the stone industry and this is why we want to do everything we can to encourage more to get involved and support them through our network.

“We are thrilled to have been invited to create the new monument at Shibden Hall to celebrate Anne Lister, who wasn’t afraid to challenge convention.”