Fen skating, on frozen stretches of England’s flat East Anglian fenlands, has blossomed as below-freezing temperatures for two to three weeks have ensured a solid ice course.

A One Mile Open was staged on Bury Fen, near the village of Earith, Cambridgeshire, in front of at least 200 spectators and there is a chance the British and Fenland Skating Championships may take place for the first time since 1997.

Four Hundred Years of Fen Skating

Fen skating dates back to the 17th century when after the ravages of the Civil War that saw the execution of his father King Charles I, new monarch Charles II came back from an exile in the similarly flat Netherlands with an enthusiasm for ice skating.

The first skating club in Britain started in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1742 and just over 20 years later a 15 mile race on frozen canals in East Anglia marked the beginning of organised competitive ice skating.

The origins of competitive skating in the Fens are obscure but by the early nineteenth century they had developed into an event during cold winters. By the end of that century, the sport was well established and the National Skating Association was established in 1879.

Stars of the Winter Sports

The sport even produced its own stars, including such richly named competitors as Turkey Smart and William “Gutta Percha” See. Other regulars included the Fish brothers, James Smart, who became Britain’s only world champion speed skater, John Gittam, John Young, the Drake brothers, James May, John Berry and William Needham.

How Fen Skating is Organised

Fen skating began each year if and when it was cold enough for fields that had been specially flooded to freeze over strongly enough to support skating. Matches were held in towns across the Fens and the winners went forward to championship matches to face competitors from across the region.