Ayscoughfee Hall Museum can be found in Spalding, it is a Medieval Hall dating back to around 1451. The grade I listed building was closed in 2003 due to extensive renovation and refurbishment works. After the work was completed 3 years later it reopened to the public.
In 2007 it won Lincolnshire's Museum of the Year.
The Ice House was built between 1750 and 1800, Ayscoughfee’s ice house represents what was a common feature of large houses in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The original purpose was to keep food fresh for use in the kitchen before artificial refrigeration was invented. Not only did Ice Houses have to stay cool, they also had to stay dry. Storage chambers were often insulated by an earth mound and extremely thick walls (in Ayscoughfee’s case, the walls are over 2ft thick!).
Although the Ice House is accessible for maintenance, the 7ft deep vault in which the ice was stored means that it cannot be opened for general access. The site was re-buried by the council over 40 years ago due to safety concerns.
The re-burial and mysterious nature of the mound prompted the local children of Ayscoughfee School to call it the ‘Witches Mound’ a name that still sticks today!
You are looking for a small container, The original container (see Photos) was Muggled shortly after placing it so was replaced with something smaller.
** Cache placed with kind permission from Julia Knight (Museum Officer) **