Best places to go ice skating in London this winter

What’s a London Christmas, without Somerset House's iconic ice rink? Skate around the grand neoclassical courtyard on this huge, 900-square-metre outdoor rink, with a 40ft Christmas tree plonked in the middle for maximum Insta-potential. This year's instalment has got a Swiss theme, with hearty, cheesy classics available at onsite restaurant Chalet Suisse. Plus, the venue's legendary Skate Lates are back, bringing ice-cool DJs to the rink after dark. 

Skate around Henry VIII’s sixteenth-century pad this Christmas. Hampton Court Palace makes a mighty impressive backdrop for this outdoor rink, especially when lit up after dark. The ice is right by the side of the Thames and is an impressive 1,040 square metres. It’s pretty family friendly (those little penguin and dolphin skate aids are available for children, if you book in advance). For rink wallflowers, there’s a café where you’ll find loaded hot chocolates, mulled wine and mince pies. 

So, why should you go on a crisp winter evening to a dramatically landscaped Unesco World Heritage Site to skate in the shadow of England’s finest piece of seventeenth-century Palladian architecture created for a fairytale queen? Erm, let’s have a little think, shall we? There is no doubt that The Queen’s House ice rink is one of London’s most captivatingly beautiful. It might not have the cool factor (no pun intended) of SKATE, or the tourist chops of Hampton Court Palace, but for purists, it’s pretty perfect, and it always looks dazzling. 

The ice rink in Canary Wharf’s Canada Square Park is back again to fill the business district with frosty fun. The huge 1,200-square-metre arena is open for 18 whole weeks this season, beginning on Oct 21, way before the rest of the ice rinks appear around London, and lasting until Feb 24, long after the others pack away the ice for the festive season. It’s covered with a canopy so bad weather never disrupts the fun. Spectators and swishers looking for aprés-skate fun can get cosy in Off Piste, the area’s Alpine-themed bar which offers excellent views of the rink. What are you waiting for? Get your skates on!

From Dec 10 onwards, West Hampstead’s Jewish arts, culture and community centre gains a 70-capacity, 200 square-metre ice rink in its piazza for winter, with twinkling lights overhead. Sessions last 50 minutes and little ones can make use of cute penguin stabilisers or banana toboggans to help them round the ice. It’s also the only London ice rink open for skating on Christmas Day. 

One of London's newest skating rinks is at the foot of the towering, freshly-revamped Battersea Power Station. For eight weeks from Nov 10, it offers magnificent views over the iconic landmark, rinkside bar, fairground rides and a 30ft Christmas tree in the centre of the ice.

All Pally’s lofty indoor skating arena is open year-round for general skating sessions, figure skating classes, ice hockey training, children’s sessions and parties. 

If you're looking for a festive skate with all the trimmings, make for Winter Wonderland's massive rink, which is open from mid November. It's built around Hyde Park's Victorian bandstand, and lit by thousands of twinkly lights. Bizarrely, it's sponsored by Lidl, which means that you can pair your ice adventure with a £3 tub of pigs in blankets from the supermarket's heated cabin. Or keep the fun going with a trip to Winter Wonderland's plethora of rides and attractions.

North-west London’s answer to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland has a giant observation wheel, a Santa’s grotto and a massive undercover ice rink suitable for skaters of all abilities.

This ice rink, bowling alley and arcade has been around since the 1930s, and this winter will be offering curling sessions as well as skating. There are two cafés and an on-site Meat Liquor there too. If you can, save your visit for a Monday or Tuesday (outside of school holidays), when you can skate or bowl for just £7.50 per person. 

Streatham’s rink was first opened in the area in 1931, where it stood for 80 years before getting a much-needed renovation in 2013. Both pros and novices of all ages can use the rink, with classes in skating and ice hockey also available. It’s part of the Better leisure centre group, so you’ll need to download the app to pre-book a public skating session. Okay, it’s not exactly Christmassy but it is Olympic-sized (that’s 60m by 30m), so plenty of room for everyone.