Ice House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A low domed ice house, externally obscured by scrub, approached from north, set into mound, uncoursed rubble stone flanking walls splaying inwards towards square-headed brick-lined entrance doorway (door and frame missing).

Setting:
Located in scrub-covered mound on crest of hill in field with land sloping steeply downwards to north-east, to south-east of other estate structures and to east of the entrance lane.

Historical information

Thought to have been built at some point during the latter-half of the 19th century the ice house is first shown, captioned on the third edition OS map (1904) and remains unchanged on the fifth edition map (1921). Located in an area of open ground to the east of Dundarave House (HB05/08/005) the ice house provided a means of storing food. During times of frost, ice was harvested from nearby lakes and stored in the deep underground chamber, with the stone walls enabling a low temperature to be maintained. Following the rise of modern refrigeration facilities in the latter half of the 20th century, ice houses became redundant features, particularly of large country estates such as Dundarave.

In 1808 Francis MacNaghten purchased the Bushmills estate, ‘for a small price’ from his brothers-in-law, the Dunkins and in c.1830 he proceeded to have a new house constructed on site, which incorporated all (or parts of) an earlier house. This ‘new mansion house’ as described in the Townland Valuations (1835) comprised a two-storey castellated pile with an apparent three-stage tower to the rear, extensive outbuildings to the west, which were adorned with circular turrets, and a pair of walled or formalised gardens to the south (illustration c.1837 in Girvan).

Upon the death of Francis in 1843, the estate subsequently passed to his son Edmund MacNaghten. Through his father’s connections, Edmund had been appointed the illustrious position of Registrar of the Supreme Court, first in Madras and then in Calcutta, when he was in his early twenties. Earning such a high sum meant that in 1825 at the age of 24, Edmund was able to retire and return to Ireland. Following his father’s death and his inheritance of the Bushmills estate, MacNaghten proceeded to have the previous house demolished and replaced with the present mansion house, which was thought to have been built 1846-49, to the designs of Sir Charles Lanyon. Although not shown on the second edition OS map (1855), the ice house was likely constructed soon after this date.

The Ice House is on the Industrial Heritage Record (0760200000) and the estate is inlcuded on the Historic Gardens Inventory (AN026).

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/3/1 First Edition OS map (1832)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/3/2 Second Edition OS map (1855)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/3/3 Third Edition OS map (1904)
4. PRONI OS/6/1/3/5 Fifth Edition OS map (1921)
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/1/25A Griffiths Valuation (1862)
6. PRONI VAL/12/D/1/2D Annual Revision Maps (1907-35)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/4/6A-C Annual Revisions (1895-1929)
8. HB File (HB05/08/005D)

Secondary Sources
1. Girvan, WD ‘Historic Buildings Groups of Buildings Areas of Architectural importance in North Antrim including the Towns of Portrush, Ballymoney and Bushmills’ UAHS, 1971
2. MacNaughton, James ‘A History of the Clan Macnachtan’ Clan Macnachtan Association Worldwide, 2013
3. Brett, C.E.B. O’Connell, Michael ‘The Buildings of County Antrim’ UAHS, 1996

Online Sources
1. DIA (www.dia.ie/)
2. http://www.clanmacnaughton.net/docs_articles/Dundarave%20Estate%20Sold_CMAW.pdf

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

B. Proportion
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
U. Historic Associations
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An ice house located in pasturelands on the Dunderave Estate. Although now largely obscured by overgrowth, the interior of the structure remains largely intact, and represents a relatively rare survivor within an Ulster context. It also enhances understanding of the functioning of a large estate in the nineteenth century, having group value with Dundarave House and its surrounding outbuildings.

General comments

Second Survey Scoping ref N05/08/009