National Trust - Stoneywell — Attraction in Charnwood

I visited Stoneywell with my two sons yesterday (31st August 2025) and we spent about an hour and a half there in total. We would have stayed longer if it hadn’t started raining after the Cottage tour - my youngest really doesn’t like the rain, so we headed home a bit earlier than planned.

The experience was very enjoyable and it was a lovely morning activity to get them away from gaming and technology. We parked at the car park and then took the shuttle bus up to Stoneywell, which was simple and well organised by the volunteers. Once there, it was a lovely place to walk around, peaceful and welcoming.

There was a summer play area for children with books in tents, giant weaving, bubbles, and colouring stones, which was a lovely touch and kept the kids busy and engaged. Everyone we met was friendly, which made it feel even nicer.

We joined the 11am Cottage tour with a guide called Pete, who was excellent - really friendly and full of fascinating details about the house and its history. Prior the tour, we enjoyed a peaceful walk around the woodlands. We even spotted some little lizards outside the Cottage near the stone and umbrella table, which was a fun surprise for the kids prior the Cottage Tour.

A couple of practical notes: you have to pre-book your visit via the National Trust website, and while there is a café/tearoom, it wasn’t clearly signposted and we didn't see it or go inside but apparently there is one there.

It’s a shame there aren’t many National Trust locations in Leicestershire, but Stoneywell is lovely and definitely worth a visit. It’s also close to Ulverscroft Nature Reserve, which we’d like to explore in the near future.

Overall, a lovely, family-friendly place with history, nature, and a very warm atmosphere. I also noticed at the entrance that they had National Trust bags with sensory ear defenders and fidgety toys, which was...

We live in Leicester and this was the closest NT property . Drive was easy, and remember to park in the parking lot , and wait for the bus shuttle to pick you up coz there's so on-site parking . Also you need to book a time slot for your arrival atleast a day in advance, coz it's a small property and NT doesn't want too many landing up all at the same time. So book a time slot, drive to the car park and wait for the shuttle bus . It's a nice small property , which served as a summer house for the Gimsons , built in 1899 . There's a small well , a 'fort', a tennis court which took 3 years to build coz they had to use dynamite to blast the rocks there , and a walled garden . We went in Feb, the peak of winter so it was all covered in a sheet of snow . I was told by the friendly NT volunteers around the house thay spring would be the best time to visit . The last bus shuttle trip is at 15.45 and the car park closes at 16.00 so do keep an eye on the watch . You could see the whole place in well under 2 hours , at a leisurely pace . Nice and quiet , not too crowded so its quite nice to visit . Don't miss the dining table which was made from a single piece of oak, which would give you an idea of how big the tree would've been . It apparently costed £12.50 in 1899, about £15000 today adjusted for...

Lovely little National Trust house, with what are fabulous gardens. First you must book to come here. This is because of planning regulations and access. The car park is a little way off, a mini bus will pick you up and ferry you to the house. The same on return.

You see the house with a guide in small groups. There were four in our group. The house was built of stone in 1899 and was originally thatch. After a fire the roof was slated instead. The house is built into the rock of the nearby hill, it is not straight, no square walls, no right angles to be seen anywhere. Much of the furniture is original and dressing were original.

Up in the stables there is a small cafe where you can sit inside or outside. Alas we visited on the most miserable and cold day of the year, and we decided not to sit outside, and also gave most of the garden a miss. We were told it was planted so there were some flowering plants at all times of the year. We did see snowdrops, and the old tennis court.

We definitely must go back on a warmer dryer summer day and see it when we can relax in the garden.

The staff were amazingly pleasant and informative about the history of the house. While we waited for the bus to take us back we had a great...