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Summary

A former icehouse at Woolbrook, now demolished. Ice House Lane still exists

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY18NW/175

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ICEHOUSE? (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

1969, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV136011.

Ice House Lane is recorded on OS 6" (1969) map at sy117890.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Ice house Lane is shown on the late 19th century Ordnance Survey map perhaps indicating a nearby icehouse.

Beamon, S. P. + Roaf, S., 1990, The Ice-Houses of Britain, 243 (Monograph). SDV21550.

Accept for the surviving name of Ice House Lane, no details of the ice-house is available. There is an entry for Woolbrook which mentions demolition, could be the ice-house.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1819 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Icehouse.
Former ice house at Woolbrook. Now demolished. Ice House Lane still exists.

Fraser, I., 2024, Ice Houses in Sidmouth (Report - non-specific). SDV366086.

There are many roads and lanes in Sidmouth that get their names from the past; Alma Lane, Brewery Lane, Cheese Lane, and for the purposes of this article, Ice House Lane. Sidmouth’s main Ice House was most likely situated in a field somewhere between Wool Brook at the northern end of the lane and Bulverton Well Farm at its southern end. Despite much research, nothing can be found of the structure; it was probably filled in and buried beneath the new houses that have built either side of the lane.

One thing that has come to light though, is a newspaper article from the 1950’s which mentions Ice House Lane and that ‘the last remaining stone of the old ice-house is being preserved by Mr. A. Dommett, whose residence stands near the site.’ The family of Mr Domett are not aware of the remaining stone but had heard there were remains of a set of steps in a nearby hedgerow that could have been the access to the ice house, but so far have not been found.

Looking at the old maps of Sidmouth from the latter 1800’s, the Wool Brook was situated at the northerly end of Ice House Lane which could have been a source of ice if the brook froze during winter. There was a decent-sized pond located on the south-east side of Ice House Lane at Bulverton Well Farm, fed by various natural water issues, so this also could have been the source of the ice.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV136011	Migrated Record: 1969.
SDV21550	Monograph: Beamon, S. P. + Roaf, S.. 1990. The Ice-Houses of Britain. The Ice-Houses of Britain. A4 Stapled + Digital. 243.
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV351568	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003-2004. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. Site No. 1819. [Mapped feature: #38942 ]
SDV366086	Report - non-specific: Fraser, I.. 2024. Ice Houses in Sidmouth. email.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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