| Summary : An icehouse in the grounds of the original Poynton Hall, which was demolished in 1758. The hall was built by the Warren family during the 16th century and improved in the 17th century. The icehouse is thought to date from the time of these improvements to the older hall. The icehouse has two chambers, a food preparation area and an ice chamber. The entrance, which is on the north side, is formed by a narrowing of the stone-built preparation room and is below ground level. An entrance well, with steps down, provides access. This leads to the food preparation chamber, which is 2 metres wide and 4 metres long. From this room an angled passage leads 4.5 metres upwards to four stone steps and a narrow opening to the ice chamber. This is a circular domed construction, built of brick, double skinned and has a wood-lined drain in the floor with a stone built aperture in the centre of the roof. The chamber is 5.5 metres wide at its widest point and 3 metres deep. Much of this construction is below ground level but a mound 1.5 metre high has been raised over the whole of the icehouse. The lake immediately to the south of the icehouse was not the original source for the ice since it was dammed in the 19th century. Ice was probably cut from the two lakes 200 metres to the east of the icehouse. |
More information : The icehouse 170m north of Towers Yard Farm is a good example of an icehouse with a food preparation area. The shape of the domed chamber is unusual. The interior fittings are also unusual and the preservation of the individual features is very good.
The monument includes an icehouse in the grounds of the now demolished Poynton Hall. The original hall was built by the Warren family at some time in the 16th century and improved in the 17th century. The icehouse, which is listed Grade II, is thought to date from the time of these improvements to the older hall. In 1758 the hall was rebuilt, but the replacement has also now been demolished. The icehouse has two chambers, a food preparation area and an ice chamber. The entrance, which is on the north side, is formed by a narrowing of the vaulted stone-built preparation room and is below ground level. An entrance well, with steps down, provides access. This leads to the food preparation chamber, which is 2m wide and 4m long. Stone benches line the first 1m of this chamber. There is a stone trough below a water inlet on the west wall and a stone lined drain in the centre of the floor. From this room an angled passage 1.5m wide leads 4.5m upwards to four stone steps and a narrow opening to the ice chamber. This is a circular domed construction, built of brick, double skinned and has a wood-lined drain in the floor with a stone built aperture in the centre of the roof. The chamber is 5.5m wide at its widest point and 3m deep. Metal fittings for a wooden door are still attached to the entrance to this chamber. Much of this construction is below ground level but a mound 1.5m high has been raised over the the whole icehouse. The lake immediately to the south of the icehouse was not the original source for the ice since it was dammed in the 19th century, probably to provide water for coal processing at Towers Yard Farm. Ice was probably cut from the two lakes 200m to the east of the icehouse. The modern steel gate across the entrance is excluded from the scheduling, although the surrounding stonework and the ground beneath is included. (1)
Ice house. Circa 1758 with C19 ante-chamber. Mainly of local brick, the ante-chamber coursed sandstone. Main chamber, double-skin wall with drain (containing, ceramic pipe) and opening at top. Entrance passage badly damaged, barrel vault (largely destroyed), also all double-skin, with steps up to elliptically-arched entrance into chamber proper. The ante-chamber abuts the entrance passage at an angle of almost 9O° and is clearly later. It appears to have been used for food preparation prior to storage in the ice house and is an unusual feature. Barrel-vaulted with preparation benches to each side, a separate drain and 2 wall recesses with dressed surrounds. (2)
An icehouse at Poynton Hall situated near the lake by farm buildings (SJ 9295 8428). It was constructed for the first Poynton Hall before 1758. The entrance to the chamber is down a short flight to steps which lead to a passage approximately 6-7 metres long. Within the walls in this passage are two alcoves and against the wall are two stone benches about 1 metre long and a stone trough is set into the floor. This passage leads to another passage, set at an angle, which leads to the ice chamber. The walls of the first chamber are butted to the second, which could be an extension to the icehouse. The second passage is barrel-vaulted with a brick layer and flagstone floor. The ice chamber is spinning top-shaped. At the top of the chamber is a square aperture and at the bottom is a wood-frame drain. The chamber is 3m high and 5m wide. (3) |