Stoneywell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stoneywell |
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| General information | |
| Type | Domestic House |
| Architectural style | Arts and Crafts |
| Location | SK498118 |
| Town or city | Ulverscroft, Leicestershire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52°42′05″N 1°15′53″W / 52.70149°N 1.26465°W |
| Construction started | 1898 |
| Completed | 1899 |
| Cost | £920 |
| Client | Sydney Gimson |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ernest Gimson |
Stoneywell is a special house in Ulverscroft, Leicestershire, owned by the National Trust. It's one of the best examples of the Arts and Crafts style, designed by a famous architect named Ernest Gimson.
Ernest Gimson built Stoneywell in 1899 for his brother, Sydney Gimson, to use as a summer home. What makes it extra special is that many of the original furniture pieces are still inside. The Gimson family lived here for over 100 years! In 2013, the National Trust bought the house, its furniture, gardens, and woods. After some work, it opened to the public in February 2015.
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The House: Blending with Nature
Stoneywell was built between 1897 and 1899. It looks like it grew right out of the ground! The builders used stones found nearby and built the house directly onto the natural rocks of Charnwood Forest. This makes it feel like a natural part of the landscape.
The house is hidden away from the road, close to Stoneywell Wood. Its gardens are wild and natural, not perfectly neat. Because it's built on a slope, you walk around the house to find the front door. The door faces southwest, looking out over the rugged countryside.
One part of the roof almost touches the ground, and a huge chimney supports the south wall. The roof was originally made of thatch, but after a fire in 1938, it was replaced with recycled Swithland slates.
The house follows the shape of the hill, so its rooms, windows, and roofline all step downwards. This means the ground floor has three different levels, and all the windows are at different heights! The fireplace and doorway have huge slate pieces from old quarries nearby. The walls are made of rough, natural stones, carefully chosen to fit together perfectly. Many of these stones were reused from old stone walls or found in the clay around the area.
Outside, the stone is left natural. But inside, the walls and wooden beams are painted white. The wooden parts were cut and prepared far away in Sapperton, Gloucestershire, and then brought 150 miles to be put together. This shows how much careful planning went into Gimson's design! In 1966, Stoneywell was recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historic building.
Furniture: Handcrafted Beauty
Ernest Gimson was born in Leicester in 1864. He started as an architect in London, but then moved to the Cotswolds to create an Arts and Crafts community. Here, he and his friends, Sidney and Ernest Barnsley, focused on designing and making wooden furniture. They used traditional craft methods but created new, simple designs with clean lines.
Ernest Gimson didn't just design Stoneywell; he also designed much of its furniture. Since the house stayed in the Gimson family for so long, many of these original pieces are still there. You can see Gimson's famous ladder-back chairs, a large table, a dresser made by the Barnsleys, and an oak bed made by Gimson himself.
Building Stoneywell
Stoneywell is one of five cottages Ernest Gimson designed in Ulverscroft. Instead of hiring a big construction company, Gimson worked with another Arts and Crafts architect, Detmar Blow. Blow believed architects should be able to build what they design. He brought stonemasons from Yorkshire to help, along with local workers.
The Gimson family were industrialists from Leicester and knew this area well. They bought land to build summer cottages for Ernest's brothers, Sydney and Mentor, and their sister Margaret. Detmar Blow helped build Stoneywell and Lea Cottage. Stoneywell was the most unique of these designs and has changed the least over time.
Ernest Gimson thought Stoneywell would cost about £500, but it ended up costing £920. This extra cost wasn't the only problem. Detmar Blow was also busy with other important projects, like repairing old buildings. This meant he wasn't always at Stoneywell, which frustrated Sydney Gimson.
Despite these challenges, Stoneywell was finished in 1899. You can see the date and a carved 'G' (for Gimson) above the front door. It was first used only in the summer. Later, Humphrey Gimson made some changes so it could be lived in all year round. Donald Gimson, from the third generation of the family, lived there until 2012.
Stoneywell as a National Trust Property
Thanks to donations from several trusts, the National Trust was able to buy Stoneywell from the Gimson family. The house, its gardens, and the surrounding woodland opened to the public in February 2015.
To protect the area, only a limited number of people and cars can visit. You must book your visit in advance. There's a parking area away from the site, and visitors take a shuttle bus to a reception center in the old stables. The coach house and stables, also designed by Ernest Gimson in 1902, are also listed as historic buildings. A small pump house from 1899 is also listed.
Stoneywell is the first house in Leicestershire to be cared for by the National Trust.
Other Ulverscroft Cottages
James Billson's two workmen's cottages are now one house called Chitterman House. It has been changed a lot over the years.
Lea Cottage is a little further down Lea Lane from Stoneywell. It was built at the same time as Stoneywell and is right next to the road. A new section was added in 1972. Unlike Stoneywell, Lea Cottage still has its original thatched roof and white exterior, just as Gimson designed it.
Rockyfield Cottage was the last of Gimson's Ulverscroft houses. It was built for his sister Margaret almost ten years later, nearby on Priory Lane. This building project was overseen by Norman Jewson, who was a younger member of the Arts and Crafts group. Rockyfield was finished in 1908.
Stoneywell Wood: A Natural Haven
Stoneywell Wood is an ancient woodland right next to the house and gardens. About 4 hectares (10 acres) of the wood belong to Stoneywell and are open to visitors, along with 2 hectares (5 acres) of garden. The entire Stoneywell Wood covers about 17 hectares (42 acres) of natural woodland. It's part of the larger Ulverscroft Valley, which is a special area protected for its scientific importance (a Site of Special Scientific Interest).
