Site Report

WoSAS Pin 51550
NS 6751 6178

Two small underground buildings, identified on the south facing side of high ground called 'Chuckie Hill' on Daldowie Haugh, approximately 200m north of the River Clyde. These structures don't appear to fit the normal criteria for ice houses, as they are built into the south facing slope of the hill and would therefore be exposed to the sun. Moreover, they are not deeply buried into the hill. Both are of identical construction, with a door and window each. The windows are of fancy design. The immediate locale was inhabited from at least the 16th century, and two mansion houses stood nearby at different times. They area marked in the 1897 6" OS map for the area.
Murray, R., 12/04/04

Twin structures were identified by Murray, dug into the side of a hill at Daldowie. Murray suggests that these may be the upper parts of ice houses - the lower chambers having been filled in.
Information from Robert Murray, via email
Entered WoSAS (MO'H) 13/07/2005

The 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1864 depicts two small squarish structures, annotated as water tanks, in the approximate location identified by Murray. It is possible that these structures may have originally been constructed as ice-houses, and subsequently been re-used as water tanks, or that they were mis-identified by the Ordnance Survey in the mid-19th century.
Entered WoSAS (MO'H) 13/07/2005

The ice houses are located right on the track on the 1860 map about 60m south of where the water tank is located (the dug-out shape of which is visible), on top of Chuckie hill. They are dug into the south facing slope of that hill and have twin - identical entrances with twin ornate dappled sandstone windows. Traces of wooden wedges to hold door standards are visible. The insides of both are in a very dry condition with few signs of dampness, which is probably atributable to the sandy and stony nature of the slope (hence Chuckie hill). The roofs of both have been repaired with red brick - within recent times, probably when the structures were still in use by the last resident family (the McCalls). Both floors are slabbed with stone flagging type but each have an area (back right hand side) where there is no flagging stone, this area might be about less than 1m square and is uneven which makes the likelhood that these were entrances to a lower chamber - which would have been the parts where the actual ice was stored. Its possible that Lanarkshire county council filled them in when they purchased the property in 1934. The upper chambers couldn't have functioned as ice houses as they face south and when built there would have been little tree cover to shade them from the sun. They are on a local large scale map of the area in the 1912 O.S. revision, there is a copy in Local Studies at Airdrie Library.
Information from Robert Murray, via email
Entered WoSAS (MO'H) 14/07/2005

An ice-house is shown on the Ordnance Survey 3rd edition County Series map of c.1912 at the location indicated by Murray.
Entered WoSAS (MO'H) 14/07/2005

The placename Dalduy, along with a building ,is depicted on the Pont manuscript (1583-96). The Blaeu atlas 1654 depicts the same placename associated with a building within a pale. The first edition Ordnance Survey map depicts the later country house of Daldowie in this area along with its offices. It appears that there had been a high status house on this site since at least the 16th century.
Entered WoSAS (CS) 19/05/2010