Skating on the River Trent and in Nottingham


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Reading the other day about an indoor skating rink in the city (I can't now remember where it was but think it might have been one of the old cinemas/theatres in Mansfield Road/ Milton Street area). I thought it might be nice to compile a piece about the history of the pastime around Nottinghamshire, both indoor and out. I came across this nice slide show of people skating on the Trent

http://www.flickr.co...192488447/show/

I have read that one of the original intentions of The Old Malt Cross was for it to be a skating rink although this didn't transpire. I know of ice skating and hockey games played outdoors on the Forest too. A little further afield skaters would take to the ice with hand-held lanterns at the Hickling Basin - an atmospheric scene to conjure with.

If anyone has any further knowledge on this subject I'd be pleased to hear it. Cheers.

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I have photos of people ice skating on the Trent at Trent Bridge in 1896.

The book "Memories of Nottingham" (Nottingham Evening Post)ISBN 0 948946 15 6 published 1987

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Are you sure these are ice skating sites?...Roller skating was well provided for in Victorian Nottingham.

According to this potted history it was ice skating. The Victorians were quite keen on ice skating too.

http://www.leftlion.co.uk/articles.cfm/title/a-potted-history-of-the-malt-cross/id/3879

'Most of you are probably familiar with The Malt Cross, one of Nottingham's most treasured venues - and the first place LeftLion ever put on live events.

But did you know that an ice rink was considered in the original blueprints?'

The following link just states 'skating rink':

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/leisure/archives/exhibitions/buildingforlifeandleisure/maltcross.htm

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  • 1 year later...

I found a 25.344 inches to the mile map of Nottingham South from 1915 and was intrigued to see Princess Skating Rink on Castle Boulevard opposite. It occupied the land which later became the right hand end of the Labour Exchange and the whole of what is now New Castle House. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?

2uet.jpg

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Interesting because I've never come across any mention of the Princess rink before. What the map doesn't tell us is whether it was Ice skating or Roller skating.

Looking at a few old maps, it wasn't there in the 1890s and it had gone by the 1930s, so it didn't have a very long life.

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There were several skating rinks in Nottingham in the late 1800s.It was very popular...both ice and roller skate.I hadn't noticed that one near the Castle before.

Like Bowling alleys many years later I think the popularity spread from America.

2wo4.jpg

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