Riverside Leisure Centre ice rink, Chelmsford

Chelmsford's ice rink is part of the Riverside Leisure Centre on Victoria Road, close to the city centre. It is run by Chelmsford City Council and has been home to the Chelmsford Chieftains ice hockey team since 1987.

The centre

Riverside is a full leisure centre: as well as the ice rink it has a 25 m ten-lane main pool, a learner pool, a gym, exercise and spin studios, a sports hall and a crèche, with Changing Places facilities and accessible parking. It was redeveloped in the 2010s in a multi-million-pound programme by the council.

Skating at Riverside

• Public skating sessions through the week, including family-friendly times.
• Learn-to-skate courses for children and adults, with figure skating and hockey pathways beyond.
• Ice hockey: the Chelmsford Chieftains play home games here, and junior teams train on the rink.
• Parties and seasonal events; check the council page for what is on.

Getting there from Romford

• By train: Romford and Chelmsford are on the same Great Eastern main line. Some Greater Anglia trains run direct; otherwise change at Shenfield. The centre is walkable from Chelmsford station.
• By car: the A12 runs from Romford to Chelmsford in about 30–40 minutes.

Make a day of it

Chelmsford's city centre, the riverside walks and Hylands Park are all close. If you are staying over for a hockey weekend or a competition, see hotels in Chelmsford on Booking.com (affiliate link).