Ernest Gimson Plaque unveiled at Belmont Hotel 
The Victorian Society marks Ernest Gimson's home in Leicester with a Blue Plaque
Ernest Gimson was one of the greatest English artist-craftsmen, and a founder member of what is known as the Arts and Crafts Movement.
In 1870, when Ernest was six years old the family moved to No 4, Belmont Villas on New Walk, and it was here that he spent his formative years. When William Morris came to speak to the Leicester Secular Society in January 1884, he stayed with the Gimsons at Belmont Villas, and struck up a friendship with Ernest, who was at that time articled to local architect Isaac Barradale. Morris encouraged Gimson to continue his training in London, and introduced him to the office of John Dando Sedding.
In London Gimson met other like-minded architects and designers, including the Barnsley brothers, and it was in partnership with them that he subsequently set up a workshop at Sapperton in Gloucestershire to undertake craft production.
No 4 Belmont Villas, where Ernest Gimson lived from 1870 to 1886, now forms part of the Belmont Hotel. The Leicester Group of the Victorian Society, with the cooperation and assistance of the Belmont Hotel, has arranged for a blue plaque to be mounted on the hotel, and this was unveiled at a public ceremony on 11th November 2008.
The ceramic plaque was made by Ned Heywood, craft potter of Chepstow, and the costs of manufacture and erection, together with a descriptive notice in the foyer of the Hotel, were met by contributions from the Victorian Society, Leicester City Council and the following donors;
Leicester Secular Society : Friends of New Walk : Leicester Decorative and Fine Arts Society : Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society : Friends of Leicester and Leicestershire Museums : Leicester Civic Society : Leicestershire and Rutland Society of Architects : The Norman Gill Charitable Trust.
