Old Roundhay

When Roundhay Rinked! Early roller skating in Leeds  Roller skating had a few brief periods of popularity in the late 1800s – most notably a craze lasting for a few years during the mid to late 1870s. It seems that the Victorians were very fond of ice skating and were always quick to take advantage when the weather was cold enough. Roller skating was initially conceived as a kind of 'reality simulation' experience that allowed skating to continue in the ‘off season.’ Initially some small rinks were set up in a temporary fashion but I believe the first large scale, dedicated facility built exclusively for roller skating in Leeds was the 1500 square foot outdoor rink that opened at the Leeds Horticultural Gardens in 1876.  Outdoor Ice Skating on a frozen Roundhay Park Lake  The Leeds Horticultural Gardens rink was an outdoor asphalt surface which replaced a previous small indoor rink that had been set up in the gardens that had proved too small and too hot in summer. The op...