A 200-year-old ice cellar. Cool!

Near the chapel, we see a small hill with the entrance to an ice cellar. It dates back to 1816, at the time when the castle was rebuilt and the then chapel was demolished. Stones from the chapel were recovered and used in the entrance and in the cellar space.

This is a rare type that has a spiral passage ending in an inverted egg-shaped storage space.

Ice was taken from the nearby ponds. It was cut into manageable blocks and transported to the ice cellar in a wheelbarrow. Of course, this only worked when the winters were cold enough.

The cellar was built in such a way that the cold was maximally retained. Or, viewed differently: that no heat was allowed in. As the word 'cellar' indicates, most of it is located underground. The entrance leads through a corridor to the cellar so that when the cellar is opened, there is no direct contact with the outside air. At least two doors create an airlock. The access was sometimes built in a curve; here it is even a spiral. The opening is oriented to the north or northeast. The entire structure is covered with a mound of earth and bushes. This acts as insulation and also provides shade so that the earth does not warm up directly. Often, a 'foil' was applied on top of this.

It was important to keep the cellar as dry as possible. Meltwater was drained outside. The conical shape ensured that the water flowed downwards. The water seeped into the ground at the bottom or was drained via a gutter to the nearby ponds. The ice never directly touched the ground, but rested on an iron grate. To prevent the walls from becoming damp from groundwater, the ice cellar was built on a slight elevation. A significant part thus protruded above the ground level.

The main purpose was to cool products with the ice or simply to consume the ice itself in the form of sorbets. Nothing was stored directly in the cellar. Exceptionally, we do find in the hallway a niche or chamber where products could be kept cool. But that was more the exception than the rule because opening the outer door let heat in.

The ice was also used by doctors to treat swellings or infections. Medicinal applications always had a high priority, and owners of an ice cellar were expected to provide ice without delay.

For several decades now, ice cellars have found new life as roosts for bats during the winter months.

Jan Rymenams