Underground London - Marble Hill ice house

 After visiting Marble Hill grotto, I went to see the ice house. I mentioned it in my blog in 2021 when I wrote "On the north-west edge of the Marble Hill shrubberies, within the wooden fencing, is the brick-built icehouse (listed grade II). I will have to go back once all the renovations are finished."

There is not much to see, just the door

The restored garden seat, mentioned on the noticeboard -

Underground London - Woodlands Park Ice House, Acton

Woodlands Park is a tiny park in Acton, west London. It was formerly part of the six acre private garden to "Woodlands", a Victorian house. The house was demolished in 1903. The house had an ice house in the grounds (below the red marker), it is located next to a pond -  

This is a typical ice house, being an underground brick lined chamber, sunk into a hill and shaded with trees. Ice was taken from the nearby pond. The ice was stacked in the chamber, the sides of which were lined with straw. The ice could last until summer. Any melt water was drained through a hole at the bottom. 

In 2006 the ice house was restored and the pond recreated. 

There is a lovely tree growing alongside the ice house -

The house is gated so I could only stick my camera through the grill -

Info plaque from Heritage Lottery fund -

The pond -

See more on Woodlands Park.

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Underground London - Hampton ice house

I've already posted about a couple of old ice storage places in London, the Manor Gardens ice house and the ice well at Regent's Canal.

In the days before fridges, large houses would have an ice well or house. These were pits with a circular roof to allow ventilation. They were often brick lined and packed with straw. The ice would last for month. See more on the London ice houses.

The Hampton ice house is situated in Home Park by Hampton Court. It is situated to the left of the path from the Hampton Wick entrance. 

It was built 1625-26, commissioned by King James. It is 12 sided and sits on a small mound. This Country Life article says "It is known to have been a brick-lined round well, 30 ft (9.1 m) deep and 16 ft (4.8m) wide and covered with a thatched timber building. "

I can't find any reports that give more info about this ice house. As it is located near a pond, ice could have been taken from there. Alternatively ice could have come by boat on the Thames, although I think imported ice from Norway and America only started in the 1800s). These are just my ideas.

Underground London - Manor Gardens Ice House

There is an ice house in Manor House Gardens in Lee, SE London, in the borough of Lewisham.

The Manor House was built in 1772 as a private residence for Thomas Lucas who was an important man in Guy's Hospital. Today it is used as a public library.

It is thought the ice house was built in 1773. Ice houses are buildings used to store ice throughout the year, mostly before refrigerators were invented. Some were insulated buildings, others were man-made underground chambers. They may have been close to natural sources of winter ice, if not, ice had to be transported in. During the winter, ice and snow would be taken into the ice house and insulated with straw or sawdust. It would remain frozen for many months, often until the following winter, and could be used as a source of ice during summer months.

It's not clear how long the Manor Gardens ice house was used for ice. At the end of the 19th century it was used as stabling for ponies belonging to a local builder. During the Second World War it was used as an air raid shelter for occupants of houses in Manor Lane. It was restored by the Lee Manor Society in 2000.

The ice house is made of brick. Ice would have come from the nearby lake. Access today is by a new staircase, this is looking in from the entrance -

An ice well was linked by corridors to the ice stores -

Open House London describe the ice house as

Grade II listed ice well and underground chambers (1773) in Manor House Gardens park, which provided ice for nearby Manor House, former home of Sir Francis Baring. Cited in 2002 Civic Trust Awards.

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