The Welney Website
Welney and District Skating Club
this page is under re-construction
Organised ice skating in Britain started in the Fens, more specifically Welney. Welney has a dedicated ice skating pub, The Lamb and Flag Inn where you can see photographs of past and present speed skating champions from the area. You can also see on this website a short history of skating in Welney.
Skating in Welney today is restricted by global warming causing warmer winters, much to the frustration of the members of the Welney and District Skating Club. For details of the club's activities e-mail Adam Giles or phone him on 01354 610 483. Adam has contributed much of the following.
Hello all and a Merry Christmas to you!
There was quarter of an inch of ice last night, if this keeps up we will be skating by the weekend. So hunt out those old car boot skates and be ready for the call.
All the very best for the New Year. Adam.
16th June 2003
Oh, so you thought fen skating stopped in the Summer?
Nope! Once you have been bitten by the bug I'm afraid it is terminal, sorry! It's with you till the grave like a darn disease. A kind a ague. I haven't been inline skating for a while but every time I hear a story about how much fun tother ole fen bors a hevin, well that make's ma blood boil with envy. You know who you are?
All the best everybody....enclosed a couple of pics of fen skaters training on their rollerblades. Adam.
Adam - photo © Mark Bullimore
12th January 2003
Yes at last we're on the ice.
Unfortunately the wash is too high and there in no ice, but there is a small patch in a field on the way to Manea (opposite Headings Farm). We have asked the farmer Andy Russell of Manea and he has kindly allowed us to skate on it. Adam.
Pictures taken 11th& 12th January 2003
photo © Mark Bullimore
is this a Giles Landscape?
Fen Skaters find Ice
A whole year has past since fen skaters were able to skate on natural ice. This weeks weather had been half promising ice worthy of skating, however many thought it was not to be. Last night saw thermometers drop to a low of -7 degrees Celsius and with the past week of cold fen skaters are once again on the ice. Skating areas are limited because of the tremendous amount of flood water. Due to the high water skating meccas such as Whittlesey and Bury Fen near Earith have little or no ice. Welney is more fortunate with limited skated on a water logged field. "After last nights frost we went scouting for ice first thing this morning," said Roger Giles (top left), Chairman of the Welney and District Skating Club, "There isn't much ice about but we eventually found an acre and a half of quite good ice in a waterlogged field on the way to Manea." The farmer has kindly given permission for skating. There have been reports of skating at Quay and Fen Ditton.
which way should we go?
skating at Welney Wash