Ice skating in Northamptonshire: Where to go this Christmas as Beckworth Emporium confirms no rink this year

A popular Northamptonshire garden centre will not host Christmas ice skating again this year, but there is another county venue that is preparing for a busy festive season.

Beckworth Emporium near Mears Ashby has confirmed there will not be an ice skating rink at the venue this year. The emporium did not host Christmas ice skating last year either, but for more than a decade it has been hugely popular and a part of many family’s Christmas traditions.

Although this may be disappointing news for many, there is another Christmas rink in the county that is going from strength to strength after nine years.

Family-run Whilton Locks Garden Village, near Daventry, will host ice skating, plus a Santa’s Grotto, breakfast with Santa, singalongs with Ana and Elsa from Frozen, wreath making workshops and more.

Christmas co-ordinator at Whilton Locks Chelsea Doe, who works all year round on planning the festive season and is self-declared “Christmas crazy”, said: “We’ve got all sorts going on this Christmas.

“We are a proper garden centre during the season, but not many people want to be gardening around Christmas, so we went with Christmas events to make sure, as a garden centre, we still had some interest at this time of year.

“We have had to evolve the family-run company to keep everyone busy at Christmas time.”

Ice skating - on the real, fully covered, 20-metre by 15-metre rink - runs from November 19 to January 3, with push-along penguins, sit-on bananas and more available for little ones. There are also special toddler sessions and SEN (special educational needs) sessions.

The Christmas booking platform launched in June and some popular slots have already sold out. However, Chelsea says there is still “plenty of availability” for the Christmas activities.

As Beckworth has not run its festive ice skating for a couple of years, Chelsea says, over the course of the year, Whilton Locks has noticed more people booking from further afield, including Kettering and Corby. She says there are a “range” of postcodes that come through the booking system.

Away from ice skating, there are also other festivities, such as festive food at the restaurant, and even a ‘Santa Paws Grotto’ and a dog afternoon tea, because “our furry friends are part of the family too”. The Christmas themed dog afternoon tea is new for this year, according to Chelsea.

She added: “Even if you’re not here for events, you will be involved in festive cheer from when you walk through the door.

“There are 7,500 baubles on the wall and you’ll be met with massive Christmas displays. We also have real, cut Christmas trees.

“There’s a real festive feel.”

Whilton Locks opened in 2004. The family who ran the pet shop next to the garden centre, took over the rest of the business in 2013. The Christmas ice rink has been an annual feature for nine years.

Visit the garden centre’s website to find out more about what is on at the garden centre and for booking information.

A Beckworth Emporium spokeswoman told this newspaper that the ice skating would not be going ahead this year and that the venue would make a decision on a yearly basis, moving forward.