Oxford Ice Rink is a 56 × 26m
ice rink
An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice created using hardened chemicals where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The ...
located on
Oxpens Road
Oxpens Road is a road in central Oxford, England, linking west and south Oxford. It is named after the marshy area of Oxpens, next to one of the branches of the River Thames in Oxford. It forms part of the A420 road.
Locale
To the northwest, Ox ...
in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It is a ten-minute walk from Oxford city centre and
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
.
In 1980, money was raised by the Oxford Ice Skating Trust (OXIST) for the construction of a new ice rink — a project that was taken over by the
Oxford City Council
Oxford City Council is the lower-tier local government authority for the city of Oxford in England, providing such services as leisure centres and parking. Social Services, Education and Highways services (amongst others) are provided by Oxfor ...
, who continue to own and manage the premises. The rink, designed by
Nicholas Grimshaw, was built on Oxpens Road (known as Nun's Walk prior to 1850) and opened in 1984 with an ice hockey match between the
Oxford City Stars and the
Oxford University Ice Hockey Club
The Oxford University Ice Hockey Club (OUIHC) is home to the Men’s and Women’s Blues ice hockey teams of the University of Oxford, England. The Men's Blues, also known as Oxford University Blues,BUIHA Website Listin"Oxford University Blues" ...
. It looks like a ship, thanks to two 30-metre masts at each end. The north end of the building is fully glazed, allowing plenty of natural light into the rink.
The rink offers public and
disco. Both group and individual lessons in figure skating and ice dance are available from
BITA Bita may refer to :
;Places and jurisdictions
* Bita (Africa), an Ancient city, former bishopric and Latin Catholic titular see in Roman North Africa
* an Archaic name for the Latin Catholic titular see of Bida (North Africa)
* Bita, a Romanian ...
qualified instructors.
In February 2009, the Oxford City Council awarded the contract to manage leisure in Oxford. Since 31 March 2009, all of Oxford Leisure, including the Oxford Ice Rink has been run by Fusion-Lifestyle Ltd. This assured the future of the rink for the duration of the contract with Fusion, who will oversee the refurbishment of the facility.
Ice hockey
Oxford Ice Rink is the home to several
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
teams including:
*
Oxford City Stars
*
Oxford Junior Stars
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
Oxford Midnight Stars*
Oxford University Ice Hockey Club
The Oxford University Ice Hockey Club (OUIHC) is home to the Men’s and Women’s Blues ice hockey teams of the University of Oxford, England. The Men's Blues, also known as Oxford University Blues,BUIHA Website Listin"Oxford University Blues" ...
Oxford University Women’s BluesRAF Bluewings*
Oxford Shooting Stars
References
External links
*
Fusion LifestyleArchitectural designOXIST
{{coord, 51, 44, 54, N, 1, 15, 54, W, type:landmark, display=title
Sports venues completed in 1984
Buildings and structures in Oxford
Tourist attractions in Oxford
Sports venues in Oxford
Indoor ice hockey venues in England
1984 establishments in England
Nicholas Grimshaw buildings