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Danestone Icehouse

Danestone, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire.

Ice house (18th century).

Said to have been built 1726. Granite rubble interior with brick domed roof, built into hillside mound; trap doors at top of mound for loading ice (doors covering outlet passage lost), and tunnel passage to entrance below at ground level to S, with granite ashlar entrance with pointed arched door and granite band course; probably a full ovoid in section, but in-filled to ground/entrance level subsequently. Circular-plan 9' in diameter. [HES]

A small building built into a mound on the bank or terrace of the River Don near Grandholm Works. It saw only a short period of use, being owned by 'The County Club' between 1718 and 1876.

The outer doorway is Gothic in style and behind it there is a short passage-way leading into the circular main chamber which measures 9ft (2.7m) in diameter. The masonry of the walls is solid and neat, and the concave roof is mainly of brick. The original doors are missing and there is no sign of the summerhouse that is recorded as having surmounted the building. [Canmore]

Alternative Names: Danestone Ice House, Grandholm Icehouse, Grandhome Icehouse

Notes: Visited by I. Greig 14/10/24 (see photos in links/resources below) who noted: Gothic entrance has a rusty metal fence gate that is open/unlocked, allowing easy entry to the main ice chamber. Interior contains much litter including broken glass, although refreshing lack of graffiti. Could have assessed vent above, but the entire mound was covered by thick nettle growth.

The Canmore ID 148076 entry for the 'Woodside icehouse' clearly relates to the icehouse at Danestone, but has its coordinates significantly out (hence it stating: "this building cannot be located from the available map evidence"). This is probably due to a vague location description of the site being "near Grandholm Works", which is indeed beside Woodside. However, the icehouse is located on the Danestone (N) side of the works, not at Woodside to the S.

Category B listed building. Predates the present Danestone House.