Arts and crafts in Leicestershire
Leicestershire (including Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicester, Melton, North West Leicestershire and Oadby and Wigston) is in the East Midlands of England. It has a population of around 980,000 and covers approximately 215,000 hectares. Here is a list of nearby or neighbouring counties: Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Staffordshire, Warwickshire.
The Leicestershire knitting industry grew from hand made knitwear during the Middle Ages, through to later industrial scale production and although mass production declined during the twentieth century, the area now has a reputation for producing quality fashionable high end clothing which is sold in top stores around the world. Located in Charnwood Forest and built in 1899, Stoneywell was designed by the architect and designer Ernest Gimson, who was born in Leicester. It is one of the few examples of an arts and crafts house in England and retains original features and furnishings, including work by Joseph Armitage, who created the oak leaf design chosen as the logo for the National Trust, which acquired Stoneywell in order to conserve the property and open it to the public. Performing arts venues in Leicestershire include the Curve Theatre in Leicester, the Concordia Theatre in Hinckley and Kilworth House, which is an open air theatre.
The county town of Leicestershire is Leicester, whose long history is reflected in buildings such as the Roman baths and the 14th century Guildhall and where in February 2013 it was announced that the remains of Richard III had been found buried under a city car park. New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester houses collections including natural history, geology, dinosaurs, paintings by artists such as Joseph Mallord William Turner and Edgar Degas and number of ceramics by Pablo Picasso. There is also a gallery celebrating the life and work of influential members of the arts and crafts movement, in particular Ernest Gimson. The building also serves as a venue for a variety of events and temporary exhibitions. Other attractions in Leicestershire include Charnwood Museum in Loughborough, Rockingham Castle in Market Harborough and Beacon Hill Country Park.
