Bristol Ice Rink

Let me first describe the general ambience. Steps to the rink reminded me of a late 1970s car park, including the rather lovely graffiti although lacking the usual car park stairs smell I remember from my youth (more on smells later)
The building itself reminds me of a derelict nuclear bunker, I don’t even want to guess what the brown goo on the ceiling might be.
My trip to the cafeteria was rather interrupted by the pungent smell from the gents toilets as I walked past. In hindsight this was lucky as my lowered appetite was met by a complete lack of any food or hot drinks due to various pieces of equipment being broken.
Generally overpriced, staff lacking enthusiasm for anything detectable and an environment more suited to a mad max movie (but colder). Horrid.

It’s surprising so much fun can be had in such a depressing building. Ugly from the outside, and fairly uninspiring on the inside too, it only scores points because frankly it’s hard not to have some fun at an ice rink — particularly one as big as this.
The twinkly ones you see at Christmas Markets, all lit up with fairy lights, are far more atmospheric, but often way too small. This one, on the other hand, lacks the ambience but is far larger, with chart music playing loudly and lots of teenagers eyeing each other.
I’m a hopeless ice skater, so I hobbled away at the end of the afternoon with a bruised knee and a slightly bruised ego — but other than that I had a good time on the ice. If you’re anything over about 22, you may feel a bit old here — but certainly not as tired and old as the ice rink itself!

My experience here was soooo much fun! I am a rubbish ice skater and spent the first half hour hanging onto the edge, but when I got into the swing of it I had loads of fun — but be warned, if you haven’t been before expect to fall over a few times! I’d advise wearing gloves too! I would say it is quite hard to find — it’s basically located above the o2 Academy — you go up the outside stairs before the entrance!
One thing to be aware of is that the ice skates can really hurt your feet — so bring some thick ski socks with you and ask for a size up, this should stop the blisters! The rink itself is a pretty good size — and once a week they do an ice disco which is so funny! They play cheesy music and have spotlights over the rink — if you’re up for a laugh check it out…
I think this is a great thing to do if you want to do something a bit different — and the prices are pretty good too. For around £4 a person you can stay for a good amount of time, and they also often offer a 2 for 1 deal if you check online — not all the time, but its worth looking up.

First Great Western are doing ‘buy one get one free’ tickets for here which is the reason why I visited. I actually really enjoyed myself which I was not expecting as balance isn’t my friend at the best of times!
The reason why it drops a couple of stars is that you need a SatNav or a very good local knowledge to find the place. Once found you walk up some old rusty stairs and I did wonder at one point whether I was going to walk into an empty warehouse. Inside it is also a bit drab and dreary.
However, it was packed and the music blaring out was really good fun. Although I did feel a good 5 years older than most people in there, at least it has given Bristol’s youths an alternative to robbery and underage street drinking.

Just above the Academy on Frogmore street, the ice rink is in a dilapidated old building — in fact if you didn’t know it wasn’t it could easily pass for a unused building from the outside. In reality it’s just in very much need of a refurbishment.
It’s what it needs to be though — ice and a place to hire some skates — so ticks all the boxes in that sense. I’ve never managed to accomplish much free skate time away from clawing at the sides, and somehow most of the other people always seem to be doing a better job. But if you ignore all the chavvy kids who come here as a matter of routine, it could be quite a fun and entertaining afternoon.

I used to go ice skating quite a bit when I was a teenage living in Coventry. I wasn’t particularly good, but then the actual ice skating part wasn’t really why I was there. I was there to meet girls. This Bristol ice rink is full of teenagers doing pretty much the same things I used to do when I was that age, which is simply hanging around being slightly annoying.
The actual ice rink itself is looking fairly tired and old now and it hasn’t had a renovation in years, if ever. Some of the skates you can hire are also looking decidedly old and weather beaten and I blame them for my poor showing on the ice.
This place is still fairly cheap in comparison to other Saturday afternoon activities and if you can over look the old school feel of the place and the troublesome teenagers, not a bad shout for that «what can we do with the kids» question that raises it’s ugly head during the holidays.

I can’t balance to save my life, so I have a little trouble here. The first time I came involved me hurting my bum, my knees, my shin, and my toes. My dignity was also bruised by watching the many seven year olds hurtling around the rink, with the odd trick just to rub it in.
Right, so I’m bitter about ice skating, of that much we can sure. I haven’t really told you too much about the actual ice rink, yet. It’s not the prettiest of things, built long enough ago to seem a bit run down but not old enough to have a particular style. This isn’t, I suppose particularly important in an ice rink, but means you certainly don’t get the same experience as you would at some open air places.
The flipside is that this rink is bigger and cheaper than other places. When they boom music out of stereo system it can be pretty fun here as well. They do ice hockey (‘Bristol Bulldogs’, I think) and synchronised skating, so if you’re slightly more talented than me there’s plenty to preoccupy you at the ice rink.

I used the bristol ice rink all the time as a kid. I really enjoyed the skating and they even used to have a disco night where you could skate to a disco with the lights and everything. I used to to enjoy it so much that I got my own skates rather than using the spakers that everybody used to call the rinks skates. I did hear recently that those skates are still being used 20 years down the line, hopefully they’ve renewed them.

Located above the Carling Academy, the Ice Rink is a reasonable place for a quick ice skate. The ice seems a bit worn though and the hire of the boots and the actual skating isn’t cheap. Ocasionally there are vouchers in the local papers etc which give you free boot hire. There are usally a lot of children on the ice too which can dampen your enthusiasm when they get in your way all the time!

I can’t help but feel the place is looking a little run down now, especially amongst the graffiti filled concrete area that surrounds it. In the evening it seems to turn into a local haunt for all the locals of the chav variety, but thats in no way saying that the demographic who skate there are anything like that. GOOD PEOPLE SKATE IN THERE. And its a great place to take yours kids aswell as good exercise, compensated by all the sweet snacks and nice goodies available at the bar.
It’s a great day out if you love ice skating, but for the less inclined it may lack the facilities for a really great day.

Terrible place! disgusting colour scheme, looks like the place hasn’t been painted, updated or even cleaned since the early 80s. The staff are rude and impersonal, the music is terrible and too loud and ruins the whole point of going out and the sorry excuse for a DJ is out of place and totally unnessesery. the skates are the exact same ones i used when i went there as a child, this place needs to be demolished.

went there the other day with my friend. lovely ice rink, love the cotton candy! good place to go for a kids party.

I really like going here but i think it should update the look abit as its very old now.

Great for the kids and the big kids too. The ice rink is large enough for the numbers that attend each week. Some like the run down feel of the place, others less so but it is a a good reliable to bring the kids for lots of fun. You can rent the ice skates and your shoes are looked after. Good all round fun on the ice just maybe leave the dog at home for this outing.
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This Ice Rink is quite big. They have a bar. The only thing thats lets this place down is that it is old and tatty. But having said that my son loved it there.

This is a great place to have fun for everyone who is up for having a little bit of a laugh. Although the whole setting is a little grim and the whole place needs a paint job the ice rink (which is what everyone goes for) is very large and safe.
With all the needed facilities like a café, lockers and toilets the bristol rink is both enjoyable and cheap. In the off-​peak times enjoy very few people on the rink and really let your hair down.

the bristol ice rink is brilliant for a family day out or maybe to go and have fun with friends, it is a very cheap day out also, people who love to roller blade will have a test on ice.

The Ice Rink itself is as you would expect — though the inside of the building is a little tired — but doesn’t detract from the ice rink itself. However I thought it worth mentioning that there are several different types of sessions and it really does pay to attend the best one for your needs. There are 3 types:
Family Sessions: Not just for families but at this session you can only wear figure skates (none of the racing/​ice hockey skates allowed). So no young boys (or girls) going 50 miles an hour past you and stopping with a spray of ice. This means that it is a great session for learning to skate — or taking your kids along to learn. This is also the session that the proficient skaters use. Its nice to watch them even if you do feel completely inadequate!
Public Sessions: Usually very busy and the session you want, if tearing around the rink as fast as you possibly can, is your thing.
Disco Sessions: No restrictions on skates but the music is very loud so its difficult to hear people talk. There are also moving coloured lights for the complete disco feel.
The website gives you a timetable of when the different sessions are.
One final bit of advice: If you are hiring skates wear 3 pairs of socks and get the size up from your usual size to prevent blisters.