How to build an icehouse

If you have enough land, you can build an icehouse.

An icehouse is nothing more than a well insulated box.

In the 18th Century rich landowners build large, insulated underground cellars close to ponds. In winter the ice was taken from the pond and placed in the icehouse, to supply the house with a 'freezer' room that would keep cold all year round.

The form of ice houses was generally an inverted cone. A round room 5 metres across at the top, and 6 metres, deep, narrowing to 3 metres across at the base. Lined with tiles and with a drain at the bottom this formed the basis of the ice house.Around the construction 2 metres of insulation such as straw kept the temerature even.The entire construction was covered with earth, with a narrow hole at the top and a side tunnel to enter the room.

In winter, slabs of ice were packed in with more straw for insulation and the ice was removed to the kitchen for use throughout the year.

Adding salt to the ice was also commonly done, as a way of lowering the freezing temperature.

---

Web Resources
Copyright - Brown Bear Media Web Design 2004- 2008
Site hosted by 1&1.co.uk