Stoneywell, with its gardens and woodland, have provided joy, excitement and delight for over a century. After construction of the cottage was completed in 1899, Stoneywell became a wonderful place for children staying here during the school holidays, where the only 'rule' was to return to the house as soon as the outside bell was rung. Even during the Second World War children's laughter could still be heard across the meadow grass and into the woods, when a local family leased Stoneywell after their Leicester home was bombed.
For Brian Lodge, a young boy at the time, living at Stoneywell was magical. To this day, he remembers how the daffodils bloomed in spring and how beautiful the bluebells looked in the far corners of the woods. He notes that the grass tracks were scarcely used, winding as they do around the trees and heather; today, though, the old 'sheep track' has been covered with stones, since it leads visitors to perhaps the most iconic view of the cottage at Stoneywell.