You can go ice skating all year round at a number of permanent rinks in Essex and London, but there is something extra special about the temporary and seasonal ice rinks which appear around Christmas. You often have to pay a premium for these experiences though so keep an eye out for offers.
Locations vary on:
- how long you get on the ice,
- how long before your session you should arrive,
- expect to not be allowed to take your bags on to the ice, but locker arrangements and costs vary,
- if you can prebook skate aids or not,
- what age children can skate from (most allow skating from age 3 or 4, but some have no lower limit),
- what age adult tickets start from (age 13 or 16 depending on the venue),
- what age children need to be supervised on and off the ice,
- number of children to adult supervision ratio,
- height of children allowed to use the skate aids,
- expect to pay a booking fee in addition to prices given.
All information is correct according to available information at time of last update (November 2024).
AD - If you want to get the most out of your session, you can also practice ice skating prior to visiting an actual ice rink. This will aid in the development of necessary skills and techniques, resulting in a more enjoyable and less frustrating experience when you finally hit the ice.
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| There are a few ice rinks in Essex this winter and a wide choice of places to go ice skating in London |
Ice Rinks In Essex This Christmas
Braintree Village
Where? At Braintree Village, Charter Way, Chapel Hill, Braintree CM77 8YH
When?
Friday 15th November 2024 to Sunday 5th January 2025, session times vary.
Cost? Off peak/ peak.
Adults (13 and over) £15.50 / £17.50, children (3 to 12) £13.50 / £15.50
Other information:
An undercover ice rink at the retail outlet.
Sessions are 45 minutes long.
They
have quiet sessions, parent and toddler sessions (under 5s) and disco
nights.
Penguin and seal skating aids and bob skates (the 2 blade skates)
are available. Aids cost £5, hire on the day first come first served.
Children
must be able to walk unaided. Under 8s must have an adult on the ice with
them.
The double blade skates clip over shoes, available junior size 4 to
9. Normal skates available junior size 10 to adult size 15.
They
recommend you arrive 20 minutes before your start time.
Free car parking,
North Car Park is the closest.
You get discounts at many of the Braintree
Village shops and restaurants with a booking.
More information available here.
Fairlop Ice Kingdom
Where? Fairlop Waters Country Park, Barkingside, Essex, IG6 3HN. Parking available on a first come first served basis.
When? 29th November to 5th January (Monday/Tues only available from 19th December, closed Christmas Day).
Cost? The site is free to enter, but skating costs £10 for children, £12.50 for adults (18+) and skate aids are £6.
Other information: Visit Fairlop Waters Country Park for their ice rink. You’ll have to wrap up nice and warm for this one as it’s an open air rink and the sessions are an hour long. They also offer 30 minute skate lessons from age 5, it is wheelchair accessible and you can hire skate aids for £6 each.
Lakeside
Where? At The Christmas Destination at Lakeside, Lakeside Shopping Centre Quay, West
Thurrock Way, Grays, Essex RM20 2AD
When? 15th November 2024 to 5th January 2024,
session times vary.
Cost? Adults £18.99, children (14 and under) £14.99. You can also prebook a skate aid for £5. There are £11.99 weekday saver tickets until 12th December.
Other information:
The ice rink is undercover as part of the the Christmas Destination event which is free entry. There are also fairground rides and
refreshments. Located in the quay area near Hollywood Bowl and
Nickelodeon Adventure.
Prebooking of ice skating is recommended.
Children must be
3 or older. Under 14s must be accompanied on the ice by an adult.
Skates
available child size 9 to adult size 10.
Sessions are 1 hour long.
Free
car parking, car park 11 is recommended as the closest.
Bluewater Just over the river from Lakeside in Kent
When? 12th November 2024 to 5th January 2025
Cost? Children's tickets £14.50 off peak, £16.50 peak, adults are £16.50 off peak, £18.50 peak
An undercover ice rink at the retail outlet.
Sessions are 45 minutes long.
They have quiet sessions, parent and toddler sessions (under 5s) and disco nights.
Aids cost £5, hire on the day first come first served.
Children must be able to walk unaided. Under 8s must have an adult on the ice with them.
The double blade skates clip over shoes so firm shoes/ boots required, available junior size 4 to 9. Normal skates available junior size 10 to adult size 15.
They recommend you arrive 20 minutes before your start time.
More information available here.
Marsh Farm
Where? Marsh Farm Road, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5WP. Marsh Farm have their
amazing (and expensive)
Father Christmas Experience you can read about here. Included in the entry price there is a good size (under cover) ice rink.
When?
Open 16th November to 24th December 2024, ice skating sessions are only timed if
they are very busy.
Cost? As this is part of their Father Christmas
sessions the price is £40 to £75 per person- member prices are discounted. There is no adult only entry.
Christmas Fest Essex (Sold Out for 2024)
Where? Christmas Fest Essex, Heath Road, Billericay, Essex, CM11 1HL.
Cost? This is a whole Christmas experience which involves Christmas bauble decoration, ice skating, miniature railway, castle visit and finally a visit to meet Father Christmas and a gift. November dates are £45 per person and December dates £60 per person (under 1s free but can only observe).
There are also 2 indoor permanent ice rinks in Essex:
Riverside Chelmsford, Riverside Leisure Centre, Victoria Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1FG
In
December they have Christmas Ice Skating Sessions although I can’t see what is
different about these sessions. There are public skating sessions every day,
times vary.
Skates available in child's size 7 to adults size 14
Cost
£9.80 (or less) per person, free membership required. You can hire a penguin or
snowman skating aid for 30 minutes at a cost of £3.80.
Sapphire Ice & Leisure, 24 Western Road, Romford, RM1 3JT. Run By Everyone Active so you need to register to book. Family and public sessions are available.
For more festive events check out these posts:
- Where to see Father Christmas in Essex this year
- Family Friendly Christmas Events in Essex
- Light trails in Essex
- Christmas tree farms in Essex
Seasonal Ice rinks in London
As there are so few ice rinks in Essex this year you might want to get the train into London and plan a day full of Christmas magic. This winter London has the following ice rinks:
Canary Wharf
Where? Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf, London E14
When? 26th October
2024 to 23rd February 2025
Cost? Adults £17.95 to £21.95, children (aged
4-12) £13.95 to £16.95 plus a booking fee of £3.95 per booking. Skate aids cost £5.95 each and can be prebooked.
Other information:
1275 square metre ice rink under a glass roof.
Tickets must be booked online
45 minute session, they recommend
you arrive 30 minutes before your session.
Children 4-12 must be
accompanied on the ice by an adult.
No children under 4
Skates available 8 (EU25) to
adults size 15 (EU52).
Skate aids available on first come first served
basis £5.95
Live music in some sessions
£1 non refundable locker for
bags
Glide at Battersea Power Station
Where? Next to Battersea Power Station, Circus Road West, Nine Elms, London,
SW8 5BN
When? 8th November 2024 to 5th January 2025, session times vary.
Cost?
Adults from £16.00, children (under 12, no minimum age) from £10.50. They offer adult and toddler tickets for under 4's from £13 which includes a soft drink. A booking fee will also be added.
Other information:
Open air rink
Most skate sessions are 50 minutes,
but there are some off peak mornings where you can have extended skate
time.
Arrive 40 minutes before session
Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland
Where? Hyde Park, London. Follow the signs when you get to Winter Wonderland.
Allow plenty of time to get there as it can be crowded.
When? Open 21st November 2024 to 5th January 2025 10am to 10pm (last session time 9pm).
Cost?
Peak/ Standard/ Off peak Adult (13+) £16.50/ £15/ £11.50 Child (age 3 to 12)
£11.50/ £10/ £8.50. Entry cost to Winter Wonderland needs to be booked in addition to skating.
Other information:
Skating sessions last 45 minutes.
Arrive at
least 20 mins before sessions
Open air rink.
All bags to be left in
cloakroom at £2 per item
Skates available in child’s size 8 to adult’s
size 13 (limited supply of skate size 14/15 available).
Skate aids £5 but
can't be booked in advance (first come first served). They do have “bob
skates” which fit over children’s shoes though. These have 2 blades and are
easier to balance.
Read about
our visit to Winter Wonderland with young children here.
JW3 Ice Rink
Where? 341-351 Finchley Road, London, NW3 6ET
When? Open 8th December 2024 to 5th January 2025
Cost? £18/19.50 per adult, £12/14 per child (under 16) price dependent on peak/off peak dates, £5 for a
skate aid (penguin) or banana Toboggan.
Other information:
200 metre squared outdoor ice rink
Part of
Chanukah celebrations at JW3
Sessions last 45 minutes
Children under
9 must be supervised on the ice by an adult
Skate sizes are given as:
3-12 UK for adults and 10-14 UK for children.
Skylight Tobacco Dock
Where? On the roof of Tobacco Dock, London E1W 2SF
When? Open from 10th November 2023, closing date not listed (but open throughout November and December)
Cost? £15 per person for 45 minutes. Ice skating is first come first served although you can prebook a table or even an igloo.
No information provided on age suitability however they do mention penguin skate aids available which are designed for children
On Sundays you can book a family Sunday for £59.99 which includes 2 hours in an igloo, 4 ice skating vouchers and 4 drinks (hot chocolate or mulled wine/ gin)
Somerset House
Where? Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
When? 13th November 2024 to
12th January 2025, skate times vary
Cost? Adults £15 to £26.50, children (up to
age 12) £10 to £15
Other information:
Tickets on sale from beginning of October (with early access to email subscribers)
Prebook, but limited on the day tickets are released
each day when the box office opens. If any are still available at midday they
will go online.
Skate aids available for under 8s on first come
first served basis.
45 minute sessions, arrive 30 minutes before (or
earlier to use the cloakroom)
All bags and large items must be left in
the cloakroom: first item free, subsequent items £2
Skate sizes from
child size 6 which is smaller than most rinks to Adults size 15
The Queen’s House Ice Rink, Greenwich
Where? Romney Road, Greenwich, SE10 9NF
When? Unfortunately this rink is not opening for the 2024 season
Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink
Where? Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, KT9 9AU
When? Open from 22 November 2024 - 5 January 2025
Cost? Adults £18 - £22.65, children (3 to
12) £13 - £17.15.
Other information:
Outdoor rink.
Sessions last 45 minutes.
Recommended that you arrive 30-40 minutes before your session.
Helmets can be added to your booking free of charge.
Skate aids £5 and can be booked online.
Under 10s must be
supervised on the ice, children under 3 cannot access the rink.
There is a cloakroom for small items (£2 per
item), they request large bags and items are not allowed.
They have bob
skates available for younger children, but availability cannot be guaranteed
Skate West End, Hanover Square
No information is currently available about if this rink will be open for 2024, this will be updated when information is available.
Where? Hanover Square Gardens, W1S 1JD
When? 4th November 2023 to 1st
January 2024
Cost? Adults £12.50 - £16.50, children (under 16s) £10.50 -
£14.50.
Other information:
There is no cloakroom on site.
Arrive 20 minutes
before skate aids.
You can hire bob skates and skate aids for children.
Westfield W12
Where? Westfield London W12, Westfield Square, Ariel Way, Shepherds Bush,
London, W12 7GF
When? 15 November 2024 - 5 January 2025 (last
skate 9pm)
Cost? Adults from £15, children (3 to 12) £11
Other information:
Sessions last approximately 45 minutes
Arrive 30-40 minutes before your session.
Skate aids can be prebooked for £5.
Bags
must be left in the cloakroom, £2 per person, cashless.
Ice skates
available from Junior size 8 to adult size 14, bob skates also available.
Permanent Ice Rinks In London
There are also indoor all year round ice rinks at Alexandra Palace, Streatham, Queens (Queensway) and Lee Valley
Tower Hill Ice Rink, Broadgate Ice Rink and the Natural History Museum Ice Rink are permanently closed. The Winter Festival at Brent Cross is closed for the 24/25 season.
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