Dr Freya Horsfield

Freya is a heritage scientist, investigating humans and their cultures as environmental change agents within temperate fluvial environments. Her multi-disciplinary research draws from geoscience, archaeology, remote sensing, humanities and social science approaches. 

As Director of the Rievaulx Landscapes Project she takes a fresh interdisciplinary look at the behaviour and impact of a major medieval institution. This considers the first Cistercian abbey in northern Britain, Rievaulx Abbey, as an agent of change in the medieval landscape.

Passionate about public engagement in research, she draws on her experience in developing policy, strategy and evidence-based advice to government within rapidly-evolving multi-stakeholder contexts, to help evolve new approaches to research co-production and the transformative potential of digital skills.

Affiliated research