Bracknell, England — While England isn’t the snowiest place on the planet, it’s home to many passionate skiers and riders. This is partially thanks to the many outdoor synthetic slopes, but not all of them are still operating.
Abandoned since 2020, the Bracknell Ski Centre (that’s how Center is spelled across the pond) closed at the start of the UK’s COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The owner kept it closed because it was no longer financially viable. It wouldn’t be long before the site fell into deep disrepair. One of the best explorations came from YouTuber The Bearded Explorer, who captured what it looked like back in September 2020.
History of Bracknell Ski Centre
The ski centre is in the outskirts of the town of Bracknell and is about an hour’s drive west of London. Opened in 1985, the hill featured a couple of artificial ski slope with a chairlift and surface lift, an Olympic-sized ice skating rink, a tubing area, an alpine slide, and more activities. The ski hill was a dry slope, meaning an artificial surface allowed people to ski and board. The ski center was featured in the film Eddie the Eagle, which starred Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, and Christopher Walken. Truly a bit mental innit.
Future
For the first time in years, it seems like something is planned for the land. The BBC reported earlier this month that a company wants to install a solar panel complex on the site. The around 1,400-panel complex would mostly power a nearby hotel, with the rest of the energy going to the grid. The plans are subject to local approval.
Let’s hope the developers don’t bottle this opportunity like Arsenal currently is doing in the Premier League.
Image/Video Credits: The Bearded Explorer, BBC South Today
