Twelve members of Patterdale MRT went to help the woman trapped in the ice cave

A woman was rescued after falling into a disused ice cave in the grounds of a Lakeland estate.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team was called out by police shortly after midday yesterday, Saturday, after the 70-year-old fell into the chamber of an old ice house at Patterdale Hall Estate.

The woman, from West Lothian, had been investigating the old building and went into the chamber in the dark, slipped and fell 4½m (15ft) into the bottom of the ice cave.

A spokesperson for the team explained: “Ice houses or caves are structures that historically were attached to large estates to keep game and food cool during the period after winter.

“The cave was filled with ice during the winter and worked as an old-time refrigerator.”

The spokesperson added: “She was luckily uninjured but was unable to get herself out being unable to climb the steep walls.

“The team arrived at the scene and, after sending a team member down to assess the situation, a rope-haulage system was set up to give mechanical advantage allowing the casualty to be hoisted up to the surface.”

After being rescued from the site, the woman was taken by team ambulance to the Patterdale MRT rescue centre.

Twelve volunteer team members took part in the operation.