There's a once-in-a-year opportunity to visit the Victorian ice wells at London Canal Museum this month — as part of a dedicated 'Ice Weekend'.
Before the days of electric refrigeration, fresh-cut ice was vital in everything from making ice creams, to relieving inflammation; mammoth blocks of the stuff were transported by ship from Norway, then onward by horse-drawn canal barge — in this case to King's Cross. ("Wouldn't it melt?" is the obvious question, the answer being: only quarter of it.)
When the ice blocks reached the King's Cross warehouse — then owned by ice merchant and ice cream pioneer Carlo Gatti — they were lowered into one of these 42-feet-deep brick-lined ice wells, which would help keep them cool (and relatively unmelted) for months at a time.
On Sunday 23 July, the Canal Museum — which occupies Gatti's former warehouse — is opening up the ice wells to the public; you'll descend into the beautifully-illuminated spaces to learn more about how they worked, and what the ice would've eventually have been used for (there's a £3 premium on top of usual museum entry to do this). The experience is expected to be popular, and you'll need to book your slot in advance.
But that's just part of a veritable blizzard of ice-related activities over 22-23 July as part of 'Ice Weekend'. On the Saturday, ice themed songs (Ice Ice Baby, surely — and maybe My Heart Will Go On ?) will be performed by the Camden Town Community Choir. On the Sunday, as well as the ice well tours, there are canal boat tours which pass through the Islington Tunnel, plus talks from the museum's resident ice expert.
Across the weekend, there's an ice trail to explore, Victorian ice cream making demos, and screenings of rare film footage showing ice 'harvesting'. Even if the temps reach 30°C+, you'll be sure to keep cool here.
Ice Weekend at London Canal Museum, King's Cross, 22-23 July 2023
