Report - Bristol Ice Rink, Bristol - May 2013

[WhoDaresWins]

Visited with Seffy and End-Proc.

This site is now being stripped and turned into student accommodation so I feel now is the time to put up my report on this place. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring here as I had skated here a few times in the past. It hadn’t been touched really, hockey gear left around, skates all left in the racks, milk and tea bags still waiting to be used, lights left on and even stuff left in the office like a random passport!

History:

Opened in 1966 by Mecca, the original building included an ABC cinema, 12 bars, a bowling alley, a 2000 capacity ballroom (which apparently had a really fancy illuminated ceiling), a casino and a nightclub. By 1998, part of the complex had been converted to student accommodation and another part converted into a large nightclub (and a rather good one!); the O2 Academy Bristol. This left the Ice Rink still running although part of the old nightclub was still in the upper level but had mostly been stripped.

Bristol Ice Rink was home to the Bristol Pitbull ice hockey team. But after operating for 46 years, it closed it’s doors at the end of October 2012. The site is now being converted into, further, student accommodation.

On with the photos:

Thanks for looking.​