More information : The icehouse at Burton Manor College is an important example of a late, rock cut icehouse with all its original features intact with the exception of the doors. The inclusion of gas lighting is a rare feature and the fittings survive well. Also unusual is the presence of a food preparation area incorporated in the design.
The monument includes an icehouse with a food preparation chamber attached in the grounds of Burton Manor College. The former hall with its gardens was built in the years after 1805 by the Congreve family and the icehouse was constructed in this period. The icehouse is approached by two sets of stairs leading down into the entrance passage on the south side, constructed of drystone walling and revetted back to the stone built entrance archway which is mortared, There is a second entrance on the north side, leading directly into the ice chamber. This consists of a revetted sunken way leading down from the garden. The southern chamber has an entrance passage 1.8m long, 1.25m wide and 2m high. This opens onto a rock cut chamber with a stone vaulted roof. This is 5m long, 3.5m wide and 1.3m high. The floor slopes into the middle where there is a stone-lined drainage channel. This area seems to have been for the preparation of foodstuffs to be stored in the ice chamber. On its north side a short passage leads into the ice chamber, 5.4m long, 0.8m wide and 2.25m high. It is also rock cut with a stone vaulted roof, 3m wide, 5m long and 3.5m high with a stone-lined well in the centre which has a soakaway drain. In the roof, on the south side of this chamber is a ventilation aperture 0.75m square with a steel grid. From this a short passage leads out to the angled entrance pathway. In the roof of the ice chamber is a gas light fitting with four arms. Ice was probably brought for storage from the mere 180m to the south of the icehouse. Later there are records of ice being brought from the docks at Liverpool. The post and wire fences to the north of the entrance passage and the wooden fencing to the south of the southern entrance are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included. (1)
Ice House approximately 75m south west of Burton Manor. c1805; for Richard Congreve. Coursed and random rubble red sandstone. Two subterranean chambers linked by a central passage with access to both chambers via stone steps.
EXTERIOR: arched south opening is approached via steps from both east and west, 10 and 14 steps.
INTERIOR: opening leads into a chamber approximately 3m wide, 6m long, with a segmental vaulted roof and bedrock walls. Link passage is approximately 1m wide, 7m long, with coursed rubble walls and roof of stone lintels side by side. The second chamber is approximately 3m wide, 5m long, and contains a central trough approximately 1m by 1.5m raised 0.33m above floor level. This chamber is illuminated by a shaft to ground level which is covered by a metal grille. A narrow passage in the east wall of this chamber contains 5 steps and then turns south with 24 steps to ground level.
HISTORY: the ice house survives from the Burton Hall which preceded the existing Burton Manor (qv). (2)
An icehouse at Burton Manor College (SJ 315 741) situated 30 metres from the house. The icehouse consists of interconnecting passages with an access at each end. It is completely underground and cut into the Red Bunter sandstone, with a vaulted sandstone block roof. (3) |