Ice House (Filled with sand by HPBC for safety reasons)

 

Any more information or photos would be very welcome

This is all that is left of the Ice House. The red brick foundations are now covered in moss and the area filled with sand.

The Ice House had a pit in the bottom of it, which the servants of the Manor house filled in winter with ice from the fish ponds.
The walls were built very thick and the whole structure acted as a large refrigerator.

An interesting E-mail from Denmark

Hi Ivan, thanks for your welcome.

I did as suggested and went to the Old Glossop Site. Interesting what you wrote about the Ice House.

I remember when I was a child and I spent 8 years with my grandparents in the country, there was an Ice House, which was mainly dug into the ground, only a meter or so was above, and it had attached roof almost to the ground, except where the door was. During Winter, blocks of Ice were cut from dams and lakes nearby and stacked in the bottom, and it was used to keep fresh meat and the like for months. Apart from what could be stored here, fresh meat was available only when a pig or calf was slaughtered, and that happened normally only 2 or 3 times a year - except for venison, of which there was quite a lot.

Near the Ice house was a big baking oven. It was a low brick structure 7-8 meters in diameter with domed roof and an iron door about 80x60 cm wxh. Before using it, it was filled up with brushwood which was set afire but only allowed to burn slowly. Heating it up too fast would have damaged the brick.

At the proper time, the charcoal would be scraped out before putting in the bread loaves.

The dough had been prepared the day before in enormous wooden troughs that were carried to the oven. During the firing of the oven the loaves were formed and allowed to rise again, and when it was time, they were put in one at a time on a wooden board attached to a long stick, so you could reach the far end of the oven.

...Ice House

Especially when there were children around, the women who did the baking would make a couple of small loaves and sprinkle them with sugar. These would be finished much quicker than the big loaves,and we children would eat them burning hot. Baking took place about twice a month. After a couple of weeks, the bread would become a bit dry, but the crumb was still soft and it tasted like no bread you can buy today or even make at home in a small household oven. I've tried, so I know!
This is almost 70 years ago now - so forgive an old man for suddenly indulging in memories.
It's your ice house that made me do it.
Regards, Enoch