If you should pass through Charnwood on a sunny afternoon
You might just spot a sign to Stoneywell
And there beside the hornbeams and the heathers you will find
A haven with some tales still to tell.
James Bilson found a site to build in 1897
Two cottages for workman was his plan
Ernest Gimson, architect, was asked to do the job
But he wanted someone else to share the land.
Gimson most admired the views he found at Ulverscroft.
At Chitterman, he toiled for just a year.
Then his brothers who were keen to leave the Leicester smog behind
Were persuaded they might come and settle here.
So Ernest set about the task of building yet again
Two cottages for Mentor and for Syd.
Lea cottage, white and dressed in thatch, adjacent to the road
And Stoneywell secluded and well hid.
With the stable block behind you a footpath stretches forth.
Past fortresses where youthful limbs once played.
Through the bilberries and ericas the sheep-walk leads you down
To a summer home where memories were made
The site that Ernest favoured lay beyond a twisted rowan
Thus a house was born, emerging from the granite
Along a zigzag path she stretched, tumbling down a slope.
Only genius would have the gaul to plan it.
Not only was he 'architect' he furnished them as well
From his workshop in the Cotswolds as his base
So he needed someone special to supervise the build
That's when Detmar Blow was brought in on the case
Now Detmar had a habit if he spied a rock he'd grab it.
He'd take them from another fellah's land
He'd knock down some stone-wall, then he'd make it up again
So you might say, 'stones he used were second-hand.'
Strolling through this home so many wonders are revealed
It's a 'curious and enigmatic place.'
Where artistry and craftsmanship are skillfully combined
Giving glimpses of the past in time and space.
Though this cottage is spectacular its style remains vernacular
Simplicity and workmanship are key
An architectural gem that's distinctly arts and craft
But I've said enough, so now you come and see.
No comments:
Post a Comment