Real Ice Skating Rink

Real Ice Skating Rink
The Hippodrome in recent times.
Location	52-58 Middle Street Brighton, England
Opened	October 16, 1897
Closed	March 1900
Owner
Surface	Ice
Tenants	Brighton Ice Hockey Club (1899-1900)
Capacity	Unknown

The Real Ice Skating Rink opened in Brighton, England, on October 16, 1897. It was designed by the architect Lewis Carslake and had a long stuccoed façade with short towers at each end. The facility was modeled after the Niagara Ice Rink in London. It was open seasonally from October to March. The rink was circular with a diameter of 90 feet.

The Brighton Ice Hockey Club played some games during the 1899 and 1900 seasons. Peter Patton described in his 1936 Ice Hockey book that Princes Ice Hockey Club lost to Brighton 4-2 at the Brighton rink on January 4, 1899.

In 1900 the venue was sold for conversion into a theatre. Frank Matcham, a prolific theatre architect, was engaged to enlarge and rebuild the interior. The building was renamed The Hippodrome and reopened in its new form in 1901. The following year, more work was carried out, and on December 22, 1902, the Hippodrome reopened as a variety theatre and circus.

The flamboyantly decorated interior, with a large auditorium and Rococo embellishments, survived despite frequent alterations; but in July 2010 its owner announced that it would cost £9 million to restore the building and convert it into a live music venue, and a charitable trust expressed concern over its future. It has been empty and out of use since 2007, when its use as a bingo hall ceased.

Sources

• Home of British Ice Hockey, Martin C. Harris (2005).