The Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust
The Great Grimsby Ice Company Factory was built in 1901. Its purpose was to supply ice to preserve fish on its journey from the deep sea fishing grounds to the nation's plates.
It is essentially a brick shelter for the ice-making machines, but typically of the Victorians, some pride was taken in the brickwork to the Gorton Street entrance, and tiny details still survive such as the initials of the Great Grimsby Ice Factory cast into the end plates of supporting beams in the tanks house walls.
The factory first used steam to power the Pontiflex (and later Linde) Ammonia compressors which made the ice. As demand for ice increased, two more tank rooms were added between 1907 and 1910.
In 1930, a modernisation programme began. Metropolitan-Vickers of Manchester was commissioned to provide new electric generators. J & E Hall of Dartford, Kent won the contract to replace the refrigeration equipment.
The factory expanded once more in the early 1950's, with a seventh tank room being built. A decline in demand and changes in ice production technology led to down-scaling in 1976. The Ice Factory closed in 1990. But for the efforts of local activists, it would have been demolished soon afterwards.
The great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust was formed in 2010 to look at ways of sustaining a future for this grade 11* listed building.
| Contact |
Website | www.grimsbyice.co.uk |
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Tele | 07758244487 |
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Email | GrimsbyIce@aol.com.
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Address | Gorton Street, DN31 3LW Great Grimsby, United Kingdom |
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