Inside the first ever ice rink now open to the public at Essex shopping village

Braintree Village has opened an ice rink for the first time in its 24-year history.

The custom-built rink is based adjacent to the top of the North Car Park, where guests can park for free for up to six hours and enter straight into the shopping outlet village.

Treats: seasonal treat stands (Image: Newsquest)

There are also some seasonal treat stands which include crepes, waffles and Yorkshire pudding wraps.

Two giant nutcrackers mark the entrance to the new ice rink, which is open to the public every day from Friday, November 10 to Sunday, January 7, with the exception of Christmas Day.

Outside: view of the enclosed ice rink (Image: Newsquest)

Lit-up Christmas trees are lined up along the path to the entrance of the large undercover 550-metre rink.

The rink is made with real ice and to prove its efficiency World Championship competitors, Kristen Spours and duo Lydia Smart and Harry Mattick performed at the opening event.

There were also mesmerising performances from British Championship competitors Zarah Wood, Alex Lapsky and Zinia Wood.

The popular shopping outlet village has seen significant investment in recent years, with a number of businesses opening shops in the last couple of months including Gant, Happy Socks and Pret a Manger.

Fresh: new ice rink made from real ice (Image: Newsquest)

A new Real Greek restaurant is also set to open its doors at the south entrance of Braintree Village on Tuesday, November 28.

Braintree Village centre director of ten years, Josef O’Sullivan said: “The hopes for the ice rink is all about bringing a new experience to the village and opening up a whole new world for our guests.

Performer: professional ice skater (Image: Newsquest)

“It’s a great way to get young people particularly involved in the sport and also encourage families to come down to the village and enjoy a good day out.

“There are some more business openings in the pipeline which cannot be confirmed yet but there is lots to look forward to.

Festive: Braintree Village decorated for Christmas (Image: Newsquest)

“I’m very proud with the amount of growth and development we’ve had recently.

“It’s a very exciting time and its great to see the ice rink come to life for the festive period, offering a great atmosphere, it’s fabulous.”

Tickets can be prebooked at https://braintree-village.com/, costing up to £15.50 for adults, £13.50 for children and up to £50 for families during peak times.