Lay a carpet, English, upper-class, the last from Axminster (7)
I believe the answer is:
amateur
'lay' is the definition.
(as in a layman)
'a carpet english upper-class the last from axminster' is the wordplay.
'carpet' becomes 'mat' (a mat is a floor covering).
'english' becomes 'E' (abbreviation).
'upper-class' becomes 'u' (similar in meaning).
'the last from' indicates one should take the final letters.
The last letter of 'axminster' is 'r'.
'a'+'mat'+'e'+'u'+'r'='AMATEUR'
(Other definitions for amateur that I've seen before include "Unprofessional" , "He's not professional" , "Unpaid (sports)" , "Lover" , "enthusiast" .)