'Rare' Blaby ice house restored as tourist attraction

The restored ice house will host guided visits from mid-June

An ice house built to store food for the owners of a Victorian manor has been turned into a tourist attraction after a £173,000 restoration.

The Grade II listed building, which was buried in Bouskell Park, Blaby, Leicestershire, had been locked up for decades.

Work to reopen the domed brick structure began in September.

Blaby District Council described the work as "challenging" but also "a delight".

The ice house was first built in about 1843 as an early form of refrigeration.

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

Ice from the nearby pond would keep food chilled.

The structure was a luxury at the time and allowed the wealthy residents of Blaby Hall to have a more varied and exclusive diet.

The project is now complete with a new retaining structure, tunnel entrance, door and dome cover.

Councillor Sharon Coe said the ice house looked like a "hobbit house" before the restoration

Councillor Sharon Coe, from Blaby District Council - which led the scheme, said ice houses were "so rare" and that Blaby was "blessed" to have one to restore.

She said: "What we wanted to do was restore it sympathetically, so we had to search for bricks, we had to search for lime and it's just been incredibly challenging.

"We did have a structural crack, which we didn't know was there to start with, so we had to work around that.

"It has been really challenging but such a delight to get it sorted.

"We cannot wait to show the ice house to both residents and visitors."

It is hoped the restored building, which received £156,000 Heritage Lottery funding, will host guided visits - which will begin in June - and events such as readings and Christmas celebrations.