Ice Cellar of Castle Wijndendale - Torhout

This ice cellar was built in 1875 by J. Matthieu, the owner of the castle.

It is a typical ice house with access tunnels, covered with earth and planted with trees.

The ice cellar used to be used as a cold room for storing food.

In winter , blocks of ice were taken out of the pond and stacked in the basement. In the summer they kept the temperatures cool. With the advent of electric refrigerators, the ice box became less important and became empty.

During the hibernation, bats need a constant, frost-free temperature and high humidity as well as sufficient rest. An ice cellar is an ideal solution for this. Zedelgem bought the ice cellar in 1997. It is not accessible.

Willem Vandenameele