SMR 72 / NS 9459 7725
The ice-house is c130m to the west of Parkhall House and presumably derived its ice from a number of small ponds and reservoirs on the estate. It on the west side of a north/south estate road which here runs through a cutting and so the structure is buried in the hill whilst the door is level with the road.
It is an interesting ice-house with a right-angled bend in the entrance passage to reduce drafts. The entrance door faces north but is shielded by the retaining wall of the east facing bank into which it is cut, giving it an eastwards aspect. The door is only 1.2m high, and the first 1.2m of the passage is 1.4m tall. The ceiling then slopes up to 1.97m. The walls are brick built, but the roof of the passage consists of 8 large flat sandstone slabs accurately chamfered to fit tightly together. A second door stood at the entrance to the ice-chamber which is rectangular in shape, 3.75m by 3.7m. The walls are of a high quality facing brick with a brick vaulted roof. In the centre of the roof is a square aperture formerly fitted with an iron frame and cover. The aperture, 0.6m by 0.45m in size, leads to the top of the earth mound which is 0.60m above.
It is not depicted on the 1860s Ordnance Survey map but is on that of 1897. By 1921 it was noted by the Ordnance Survey as “Old Icehouse”. It is now owned by Parkhall Farm and is being slowly filled with agricultural debris. As the open top presents a hazard to animals, the structure is unlikely to survive long.
Falkirk Local History Society 