Stoneywell Cottage emerges from the surrounding landscape and was built as a summer house for Leicester industrialist Sydney Gimson, director of Gimson & Co. Vulcan Works. This wonderful building was designed by the Arts & Crafts architect and furniture designer Ernest Gimson and built with fellow architect Detmar Blow. Stoneywell Cottage remained in the Gimson family for three generations until the National Trust acquired it in 2012.

Completed in 1899, the building is constructed of granite and slate rubble stone and originally had a thatched roof. Following a fire in 1939, the roof was replaced with Swithland slate by Humphrey Gimson. Stoneywell features original woodwork throughout the building and fully incorporates the simplicity of the Arts & Crafts movement.

The Dining Room is the first room you enter through the front door and was originally the kitchen until 1953. The last owners of Stoneywell, Donald and Anne Gimson, created a kitchen behind the door near the dresser (above top left) which had been the larder, earth closet and coal store. The beautiful oak table dominates the centre of the room and was made by Sidney Barnsley.

The Sitting Room is accessed by a broad flight of slate stairs from the Dining Room. Providing wonderful views from the window seats, the room is an idyllic setting to unwind. The room features an inglenook fire, an Orkney chair and rush-seated chairs made for the National Trust by Lawrence Neil who still uses many of Gimson’s tools.

The Main Bedroom is accessed by a staircase from the Sitting Room below and features wonderful furniture, exposed beams and a triangular one light window. This quirky room has a walnut coffer (above right) which was designed and carved by Joseph Armitage. The coffer was made for Basil Gimson’s 21st birthday by Sidney Barnsley and was bought to Stoneywell in 1947.

In the 1950’s, the Walkthrough Bedroom (below) became a Nursery for Donald and Anne’s daughter Sally. The room has a beautiful colour print above the door to the landing which is from a painting by a Viennese schoolchild. The print was sold to raise money for the Red Cross following World War One as Sydney had been involved in helping Belgian refugees who had fled from Germany.

The Well Room (below) was so named owing to the fact that you step down into the room. The room was used as a bedroom for Donald’s son Roger but had previously been used as a summerhouse.

Edward Barnsley was commissioned to make the bookcases which fit into the eaves of the room and accommodate the second hand books collected by Basil Gimson. The Well Room has a wonderful collection of furniture and working toys.

The two cane chairs above were made by the Leicester firm Dryad. Reviving the traditional craft of basket making, Harry Peach, who was a friend of Sydney Gimson, followed the fashions of the continent but the firm’s production was sadly ended with the invention of the American Lloyd Loom.

The bedroom on the top floor of the building was used by many visitors to Stoneywell and was named Mount Olympus – the highest point in the ancient Greek world. The room was much smaller than the present size before the fire of 1939 and was accessed by a ladder from the Nursery. The room has a wonderful collection of Arthur Ransom novels and a chess set (below) made by Donald Gimson.

Towards Mill Lane is the conically roofed Well House (below). The Pump House is shared with Lea Cottage and was built in 1899 by Ernest Gimson for Mentor and Sydney Gimson. The one storey round building is constructed of granite and slate rubble stone with a Swithland slate roof and is Grade II Listed. Stoneywell Cottage is Grade II* Listed.