Ice House To West Of Park House

The ice house, located to the west of Park House in Moggerhanger, dates from the late 18th century to early 19th century, a period when Moggerhanger House was remodeled by Sir John Soane and the grounds were enhanced by Humphry Repton. The structure is covered by an earth mound, with the entrance visible on the north side. The entrance features coursed ashlar and rubble sandstone, with a central section approximately 2 meters high that includes a cornice and an arched opening made of voussoirs, within which there is a recessed door. Some of the stone appears to have been reused, with certain blocks displaying raised ashlar faces. On either side of the entrance are lower wings made of coursed rubble stone with flat stone copings; these wings slope down to the ground on the left side and to half height on the right side.

Inside, the entrance passage has a barrel-vaulted ceiling made of coursed rubble limestone, with short return walls that do not have doors. Beyond this, there is a shorter passage with a lower barrel-vaulted ceiling, leading to another set of short return walls without doors that open into the ice chamber. The ice chamber has a semi-circular plan, with its curved lower walls constructed of Flemish bond brick. The shallow saucer-dome ceiling is made of brick headers arranged in a spiral pattern. At the time of inspection in January 2003, the chamber was filled with water.

The ice house is situated approximately 50 meters west of Moggerhanger, which is listed as Park House and is of Grade I status. This house was remodeled by Sir John Soane between 1790 and 1797 for Godfrey Thornton, a director of the Bank of England, and again between 1806 and 1812 for Thornton's son, Stephen. The ice house has group value with the Grade I Park House, the Grade II Registered Moggerhanger Park, and the Grade II Stables, Kitchen Garden Walls, and Outbuildings.