Measurements

The archeologists measured the size of the ice house which was 24-feet wide and 31-feet deep. Or you could say that it was the biggest ice house in the whole world ever discovered. You can imagine how much ice it was able to contain. 

Amazing Find

“Standing inside the cavernous and beautifully constructed Ice House at Regent’s Crescent, it is fascinating to think that it would once have been filled with tons of blocks of ice that had traveled across the North Sea and along the Regent’s Canal to get there,” said David Sorapure to the media.

Forgotten

No history books will ever tell you about a possible ice house beneath the Regent’s Crescent which was built by the same architect who built the Buckingham Palace. It was forgotten and until this day when it was discovered nobody ever talked about it. Every day several people come to visit one of London’s popular park and nobody had a clue that beneath the surface there was a massive hole. 

The Location

“This is seldom done; the ice house being generally placed in a sequestered spot, on the side of a hill or sloping ground, the base of which is lower than the bottom of the well, the outside being well-banked up with earth to keep out all external air and heat, and neatly covered with turf or thatch,” said Abraham Rees in the Cyclopaedia.

Rich History

This discovery would help the archeologists and historians learn more about the past of Londoners. The ice houses are an important part of the Industrial Revolution. This amazing discovery for sure would give some more answers about the history of London and its culture. But from where did King James I find out about ice houses?

Old And Cold

The oldest written documents that speak about the ice house could be found in the cuneiform tablet that dates back to 1780 BC. According to the tablet, the construction of an ice house began in the northern Mesopotamian town of Terqa. It was created by the orders of Zimri-Lim, the King of Mari.