National Geographic History - 05.2019 - 06.2019

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 5

estimated 2,000 then in use in
the capital, it was much larger
than most. The MOLA team
determined that ice was de-
posited through a hole at the
top, and a separate entry al-
lowed access to take it out.
When the Regent’s Canal
was completed nearby in 1820,
the icehouse’s size and prox-
imity to the canal suddenly
made it a highly profitable
proposition. It is believed that
an entrepreneur, William Left-
wich, acquired it in the 1820s.
Leftwich could see the ice
trade was changing rapidly. For
centuries, ice stored in Brit-
ain had come from local rivers.
Even in cold winters, there was
not enough high quality ice to
meet demand.

By the 1820s, however, im-

proved shipping could bring

ice to London from overseas.

Taking advantage of the canal

system, Leftwich began im-

porting large quantities of ice

blocks from Norwegian lakes

to London. His massive ice-

house, conveniently located

near the Regent’s Canal, was

the perfect place for storage.

From here it would be dis-

tributed to clients for use in

luxuries like ice cream and

sorbets, as well as for medi-

cal and dental procedures. For

nearly a century, this valuable

commodity, would continue to

make men like Leftwich rich,

until the invention of house-

hold refrigeration systems in

the early 20th century.

MASS TRANSIT

ENGLAND’S CANALS enabled William Leftwich to

build an empire of ice. His storehouse was located along

the Regent’s Canal in London, which linked the capital’s

western canal network with the eastern stretch of the

Thames. Prior to the existence of these canals, ice con-

sumption in Britain was limited to the very rich. After

their construction, the canals broadened access to ice

through rapid transport, making larger quantities of ice

available and affordable. For Head of Built Heritage at

MOLA David Sorapure, the importance of the Regent’s

Crescent icehouse is that “it bridges the gap between

[the time when] ice was only for the very wealthy, to

a kind of mass availability of ice, which you get from

the 1830s and 40s... It’s ice for everyone, eventually.”

WORKERS CUT THE ICE OF A

NORWEGIAN LAKE INTO BLOCKS IN

A LATE 19TH-CENTURY PHOTO.

MOLA

NG MAPS

LONDON CANAL MUSEUM

London

Regent’s

Park

Tham

es

Regent’s

Canal

ICEHOUSE

0 mi 1 2

0 km 1 2

NOR.

U.K.

London

North

Sea