New trail to teach children about 'hidden' ice house

The new interactive trail has already been tested out by local schoolchildren

A new trail has been created around a Leicester park to bring a hidden historic Ice House to life for children.

Bouskell Park is home to the building, a relic of the park’s past as part of the estate of the nearby Blaby Hall stately home.

More than 180 years on, the 19th Century version of the modern fridge-freezer is at the heart of a new activity trail.

The map features clues for young visitors to solve as they learn more about the unusual half-buried feature and the village park’s past as part of a grand estate.

Tours take visitors underground into the 'lost world' of Victorian stately homes

Tour guide Jo Thomson, who created the trail, said: "I had a couple of children on the adult tour and although they were interested it was quite a lengthy and in-depth tour for them.

“So I thought I could break it down and make it more activity based to appeal specifically to children."

The Grade II-listed Ice House was restored by Blaby District Council and has been welcoming tours since 2021.

The new trail for children was trialled by Year 1 and 2 pupils from Thistly Meadow Primary School as part of a geography project.

The Ice House was restored and reopened to visitors in 2021

Teacher Sarah White said: "Being local a lot of the children come to the park anyway and so recognise the mound of the Ice House from the outside but have never seen inside.

“It was a real treat for them to go inside and to learn more about the park itself."

Marc Greenwood, from Blaby District Council, added: "We are immensely proud of the work we have done to restore the Ice House at Bouskell Park – it is a glimpse into a lost world.

“Our original tours have proved incredibly popular since they first launched in 2021.

“Now we hope our new children’s trail will bring history to life for a whole new generation."

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