Building record 2271 - Coach House Ice House

Ice House in rear garden of the coachhouse, Old House Green. Probably early C19th. Red sandstone facing to entrance, elsewhere red-brown brick, under earth mound forming the basis of a later rock garden. Entrance has Gothick arch formed from a pair of shaped stones, surmounted by a naive statue of a woman with hands clasped over stomach. Flag-roofed stone passage 2m long has groove for former door-frame at inner end, beyond which is a brick passage 2m long with pointed vault , circular ice chamber c.2.2m diam., with brick-domed roof with circular aperture at crown, closed with flags and covered with earth. Ice house also serves as a grotto overlooking a dumb-bell shaped pool(1). Possibly an ice house for Ramsdell hall - an 18th century country house.

<1> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, /7/115 (Report). SCH1934.

<2> Laurie I C, 1986, Ice Houses of Cheshire, /4 (Booklet-Leaflet). SCH3178.

<3> Buxbaum T, 1992, Icehouses, /22-23 (Oral Communication). SCH1463.