© BlythWeb

This is a fine example of an early refrigerator in the grounds of Heveningham Hall! In the days before mechanical cooling was invented the only way to chill anything was by using ice. If you had a large estate with a lake you could ensure a plentiful supply of ice all year by collecting it from the lake on winter mornings and storing it in special buildings like this. It has no windows and the only door faces north and it is built on a north facing slope. Once filled with ice the temperature would remain around freezing all year.