The Ice House

The Ice House on the north side of Manor House Gardens is a rare surviving example of an 18^th century fridge. It was built to provide cold storage for food for the Manor House, later the home of Sir Francis Baring, the wealthy banker and MP who owned much of the land in Lee.

The Ice House is opened by Lee Manor Society volunteers on the first and third Sundays of the month from April to September between 3pm and 5pm. Entrance is free but we welcome donations.

The Ice House is thought to have been constructed at much the same time as the Manor House was built, in 1772 or 1773. The structure itself was covered with soil dug to form the lake, so it was completely underground, which lowered the temperature.

The ice was mainly taken from the lake which often froze over in winter. It could last two years before melting. In mild winters ice could also be imported from Scandinavia and America where ice was harvested on an industrial scale.

The ice was kept in the “ice well” and was covered in straw to keep it frozen longer. Food was kept in large ice boxes, similar to picnic boxes we use today.

The entrance to the Ice House was not down the steps, as we use now, but through a door on the other side. This was reached from the estate yard containing other buildings (since demolished). This area and the adjoining orchard later became gardens for houses on Manor Lane. A second door was added later when the Ice House was expanded (the section on the right as you come in now.) The 1863 Ordnance Survey map shows the position of the Ice House and the Orchard behind it.

Ice Houses fell into disuse after the First World war, as most well-off people could afford fridges.  The Manor House Gardens Ice House was used for stabling a builder’s ponies and later, during World War II as a bomb shelter.

It was renovated in 2000 by the Lee Manor Society, with funding from the Heritage London Trust and the Pilgrim Trust as well as support from the London Borough of Lewisham. This involved blocking up the old doors and creating a new entrance down the steps.

Only a few surviving ice houses are open to the public so the Lee one remains a popular attraction. By September 2022 it had welcomed 30,000 visitors.