EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Graham Bleathman’s visualisation of the Ice Factory at work, based on Martyn Bullock’s 1990 documentary.
Grimsby Ice Factory – Making Ice for the World’s Premier Fishing Fleet
An illustrated talk by Christopher Lester, retired electrical engineer and Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust trustee. Chris tells the story of ice making from 1900 to 1990 at the largest ice factory in the world, situated on Grimsby Docks. View the video here.
Martyn Bullock Documentary
In July 1990, during the last week of production, Martyn Bullock went to the Ice Factory and filmed the ice-making process from beginning to end. This provides us with an invaluable record of the last days of a great enterprise. To watch the video click here.
Disappearing World of Ice Factories
Click here for information about other ice factories around the UK.
Cooling Around the World
Throughout the ages, people have used many different methods of producing and storing ice in order to keep their food fresh. Before the Grimsby Ice Factory was built, the Great Grimsby Ice Company was importing blocks of ice from Norway, advertising it for sale throughout the UK for delivery by train. Click here to read a fascinating article about how cooling developed in the USA.
Frozen in Time
In March 2014, Neil Everitt produced an amazing series of articles for his online trade publication The Cooling Post, which followed the scientific developments that contributed to the Grimsby Ice Factory’s success. View the articles here:
Industrial Ice Production Timeline
View this timeline developed by the Institute of Refrigeration, and featuring the Grimsby Ice Factory.
A History of the Grimsby Ice Factory
In 2011 Garry Crossland compiled a short history of the Grimsby Ice Factory, published by the Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust. A long time employee of Associated British Ports, Garry now volunteers one day a week looking after their archive. For more information please contact grimsbyice@aol.com.