Bank Hill Ice House

The Ice House on Bank Hill in Berwick-upon-Tweed is a Grade II listed building that was constructed in 1796. It was built to store ice for the fishing industry, which was a major economic activity in the town at the time.

The ice was collected from the River Tweed and from specially flooded pools (known as “stanks”) during the winter. It was then stored in the ice house, where it could be kept cool throughout the summer. Prior to this the salmon transported from Berwick would have been either pickled or boiled. In order to prevent the blocks of ice from freezing into one huge lump, and thus preventing it from being used easily, each layer of ice would have a layer of sawdust sprinkled over it.

The Ice House is built into the hillside and is covered with earth, which acts as an insulating layer. The entrance tunnel is barrel vaulted and leads to the main chamber, which is 11 meters long and 7.4 meters wide. The roof of the main chamber is also barrel vaulted and is 7.6 meters high. It is a relatively early example of an Ice House, particularly for the fishing industry and is still relatively intact. Historic England consider it a nationally important structure in relation to the north east fishing industry.

As the use of ice began to dwindle in the fishing industry the Ice House was linked to the properties above it by new doorways and stairs so it could be used as a basement. The doorways still remain although the stairways up to them can only be seen as shadows on the stonework. It was designated as an air raid shelter during World War II and was later used for storage. It is currently cared for by the Berwick Preservation Trust.