Whitley Bay Ice Rink is around a 5-minute drive southwest of the town centre. It is probably the oldest rink in the UK and has a reputation for being run very down. However, it is a decent-sized rink with better spectator seating than many UK rinks.
Whitley Bay Ice Rink is home to a number of ice hockey teams, including the Whitley Warriors of the NIHL 1 North league. It is just one of 41 ice rinks in the UK that are home to competitive ice hockey teams.
Information For Whitley Bay Ice Rink
Whitley Bay Ice Rink Parking
Whitley Bay Ice Rink parking is free. However, there is a limited number of spaces that fill up when the rink is busy. Hillheads Road Parking is another free option; this car park can be accessed from Foxhunters Road.
Whitley Warriors Ice Hockey Team
Whitley Warriors is an ice hockey team playing in the UK’s NIHL 1 North (Moralee) division. The team is based at the Whitley Bay Ice Rink.
The amateur NIHL 1 league is the third-highest in the UK, behind the EIHL and NIHL National leagues. Nine teams compete in the northern division (see below), and eight teams compete in the southern division.
NIHL 1 North (Moralee) Teams
| Billingham Stars | Sheffield Scimitars |
| Blackburn Hawks | Solihull Barons |
| Deeside Dragons | Whitley Warriors |
| Hull Jets | Widness Wild |
| Nottingham Lions |
The teams charge for entry for games, generally £5-£10 for a non-concessionary adult and reduced rates for children and OAPs.
NIHL 1 North teams compete for the regular season, playoff and national titles, and the Moralee and Challenge cups. 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.
How Cold Is Whitley Bay 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. We would rank the temperature of the Whitley Bay Ice Rink as very cold compared to other UK rinks; in fact, many would say it is the coldest in the UK!
Whitley Bay Ice Rink Seating
Whitley Bay Ice Rink is quite a large arena with raised seating on three sides. Generally, views of the ice are good, especially if you sit close to the centre ice, a few rows up.
8 Best Ice Rink Activities To Do At Whitley Bay Ice Rink
Watching an ice hockey game is just one of many things to do at Whitley Bay 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.
