Listed ice house to be restored with lottery funding

The ice house has remained closed and is hidden under overgrowth in Bouskell Park

A Grade II listed ice house is to be restored to its former glory.

The space in Bouskell Park in Blaby, dates to 1843 and will be opened to the public as a result of £156,000 of lottery funding.

It was once used as a storage facility by the owners of nearby Victorian manor house Blaby Hall to keep food cool.

Councillor Sharon Coe, from Blaby District Council, said she hoped the house would become a "focal point" of the park and boost tourism.

She added the restoration work had "been an ambition for a number of years" for the district council.

Photos were taken inside the storage space in 1995

Ice houses were a popular method before refrigerators were invented to keep food supplies cool using ice from the nearby lake.

Blaby District Council said the full historical and archaeological features of the ice house remained relatively unknown so the work would "preserve the structure and heritage" of the area.

Blaby Hall once stood in landscaped grounds which formed part of the park and is currently being renovated

A community archaeological dig has been planned for this summer to help discover the history of the ice house.

"We want this to be a community-focused project, involving people of all ages and interests," added Ms Coe.