Ice house under chapel of Guy's Cliffe House

Description of this historic site

An icehouse, a structure built partly underground and used for the storage of ice in wamer weather. It was built during the Imperial period and was situated under the chapel of Guy's Cliffe House. The site lies 80m north east of Guy's Cliffe Stud.

Notes about this historic site

1 Icehouse in one of rock cut chambers under chapel of Guy’s Cliffe House. Not known whether chamber was cut specifically for icehouse or whether existing chamber reused – some of the caves under the chapel said to possibly date from Saxon period. Icehouse separated from chapel by an undercroft, from which stone steps lead down through a brick arched passageway. Passage has three doors off it. Chamber itself is L-shaped, lined in places with bricks, and has brick vaulted ceiling and soakaway in floor, all of which features survive. Only access to base of chamber is by ladder. Forms part of a very unusual group of associated structures, with caves and chapel (WA 2232), and is Scheduled as part of this group.
2 Beamon and Roaf report that there is an ice-cellar or a dungeon beneath the lowest level of the chapel. L-shaped with brick walls set in bedrock. The only real indication tthat it might have been for storing ice is that the stairway down to it has three doors.
This structure is beneath the undercroft.

More from Warwick