Chelmsford Ice Rink is at the Riverside Leisure Centre on the northeastern side of Chelmsford city centre.
The leisure centre was completed in 2019 and is home to a number of ice hockey teams, including the Chelmsford Chieftains and the Chelmsford Warriors. It is just one of 41 ice rinks in the UK that are home to competitive ice hockey teams.
Information For Riverside Leisure Centre
Chelmsford Ice Rink Parking
The Riverside Leisure Centre has its own paid car park. If this is full, other paid car parks are nearby, such as the Granary Car Park and Waterloo Lane Car Park. Charges are similar for all three car parks.
Chelmsford Chieftains Ice Hockey Team
Chelmsford Chieftains is an ice hockey team playing in the UK’s NIHL 1 South (Britton) division. The team is based at Chelmsford Ice Rink.
The amateur NIHL 1 league is the third-highest in the UK, behind the EIHL and NIHL National leagues. Eight teams compete in the southern division (see below), and nine teams in the northern division.
NIHL 1 South (Britton) Teams
| Chelmsford Chieftains | Romford Buccaneers |
| Invicta Dynamos | Slough Jets |
| Milton Keynes Thunder | Solent Devils |
| Oxford City Stars | Streatham IHC |
The teams charge for entry to games, generally £5-£10 for a non-concessionary adult and reduced rates for children and OAPs.
NIHL 1 South teams compete for the regular season, playoff and national titles, as well as the Britton Cup. The regular season runs from September to late March, and the season concludes in mid-April with a final between the northern and southern playoff champions.
Chelmsford Warriors Ice Hockey Team
Chelmsford Warriors is an ice hockey team playing in the UK’s NIHL 2 South (Wilkinson) division. The team is based at Chelmsford Ice Rink.
The amateur NIHL 2 league is the fourth-highest in the UK, behind the EIHL, NIHL National and NIHL 1 leagues. Thirteen teams compete in the southern division (see below), and nine teams compete in the northern division.
NIHL 2 South (Wilkinson) Teams
The teams charge for entry to games, generally £5-£10 for a non-concessionary adult and reduced rates for children and OAPs.
NIHL 2 South teams compete for the regular season title, the playoff title, and the Wilkinson Cup. The regular season runs from September to late March, and the season concludes in early April with a playoff weekend for the semi-final and final games.
How Cold Is Chelmsford Ice Rink?
If you haven’t been to a hockey game before, you need to know that ice rinks are cold places (not a surprise!). And the closer you are to the ice, the colder you will be. Also, hockey rinks in the UK aren’t heated, so temperatures in the arena drop in line with outside temperatures.
For those with some experience of UK rinks, we would rank Chelmsford Ice Rink as average in terms of arena temperature.
Chelmsford Ice Rink Seating
Chelmsford Ice Rink was built in 2019 and is one of the newest ice arenas in the UK. It has bench-style seating for around 600 spectators. This new arena is well-lit, and you will have good views from most seats.
8 Best Ice Rink Activities To Do At Chelmsford Ice Rink
Watching an ice hockey game is just one of many things to do at Chelmsford Ice Rink. There is a wide range of ice rink activities on offer, including:
- Public ice skating sessions
- Ice skating lessons
- Ice hockey lessons
- Join a recreational ice hockey team.
- Join a women’s ice hockey team.
- Ice dancing or figure skating
- Ice skating birthday parties
- Try an ice disco with music, a DJ and disco lights.
