2) Unit 23 Skatepark – Dumbarton

Unit 23 skatepark in Dumbarton could easily claim to be the home of BMX and skateboarding in the UK. In fact, Unit 23 was home to one the UK’s biggest BMX talents, Kris Kyle. But it’s not just famous famous residents that make the place so good.

The massive 56,000 square-foot skate and BMX park is one of the largest indoor parks in the UK. It’s so big, in fact, it has to be spread over three different halls. Hall One has a more traditional skatepark feel, and is full of ramps, boxes, rails, bowls, mini ramps, quarter-pipes and more.

Hall Two has more of a street feel to it, emulating the kind of terrain a skater or BMX rider would find if they were riding outdoors, away from the safety of the skatepark. There are kinked rails, boxes, stairs, transitions, and even a US-style fire hydrant. In fact, the only thing missing from real street skating are security guards hassling you. Perfect.

Finally, Hall Three at the skatepark has a foam pit and a resi-ramp – like those used by Nitro Circus. These are both soft landing areas, so are perfect for anybody trying a new trick for the first time.

Unit 23 is open from midday to 10pm Monday to Friday, and midday to 8pm on weekends, and only ever really closes for a few days around Christmas, because even skatepark staff enjoy leftover turkey. Prices start from £9 for two hours, rising up to £16 if you want to stay anything longer that seven hours.

You can become a member of Unit 23 for just £40 a year, which knocks around £3 off the price you pay for a session. Equipment hire is also available at the skatepark, with BMXs starting at £5 an hour, and skateboards from £4 p/hour.

If you’re thinking to yourself “I want to learn to BMX” or “where can I learn to skateboarding in Scotland?” then Until 23 have got you covered. They offer coaching for both skaters and BMX riders between 10am and midday on Saturdays and Sundays. Coaching sessions only cost £10 for two hours, and operate outside of regular park opening hours, so beginners won’t feel intimidated by more experienced riders landing flip-whips around their ears.

For more on opening times, prices, lessons, events, and facilities, visit the Unit 23 Skatepark website.

Where is Unit 23 Skatepark?

4) Radlands Skatepark – Northampton

Radlands skatepark in Northampton is rich in heritage that is stands out as one of the best known places to skateboard and ride BMX in the UK. Radlands was originally an indoor skatepark, built in 1992, but forced to close 12 years later.

However, it proved impossible to keep one the the best skateparks in the UK down, and 2012 saw an all-new Radlands open where the old park once stood. The new-look Radlands is no longer an indoor park, but rather a skate plaza – basically like a really big street spot.

The plaza is super smooth diamond shape with plenty of ramps, rails, and ledges for riders to trick on. Then there’s a strip through the middle that’s packed with stair sets, boxes, rails, manual pads and more. The design is perfect whether riders want to practice on one spot, or fancy cruising around the entire plaza.

Being an outdoor, plaza-style skatepark, Radlands is open to the elements, so can prove tricky on Northampton’s wetter days. But no cloud comes without a silver lining, and at Radlands riding is completely free of charge, and you can drop by any time you like. It’s worth noting, however, that the floodlights that allow BMX riders and skateboarders to use the park at night are turned off at 9.30pm.

For more information on the history of the site, detail of the construction, and for information about future developments, including an on-site shop, visit the Radlands website.

Where is Radlands Skatepark?

5) House of Vans – London

What’s the best skatepark in London? That’s a real toughie. The capital city is rich with skateparks and skate spots that have skateboarders and BMX riders from all over the world turning up for a roll.

As such, there are many London skateparks that could have made this list, but we’re giving House Of Vans the nod.

Built in the disused tunnels underneath Waterloo station, and just a short stroll from the world famous South Bank skate spot (or The Undercroft, if you absolutely insist), House of Vans occupies five of the tunnels. Tunnels Four and five occupy two world-class skate parks.

Tunnel four houses a deep bowl with some smooth yet testing transitions, ideal for any level of skater or BMX rider. The neighbouring Tunnel Five has a whole mini ramp area, and separate street skating section, all made from butter-smooth concrete. With the heritage of Vans behind it, you can be assured that the construction and maintenance of the parks are a riders dream-come true.

Furthermore, if you visit House of Vans, it’s not unusual to find yourself rubbing shoulders with some stone-cold legends. Everybody from Curren Caples, through Jeff Grosso, to Christian Hosoi have been spotted riding the walls (or rather, off the walls – geddit) there in 2016 alone.

But, what we really love about House Of Vans is that it’s so much more than a skate park. It’s genuinely a hub for culture and art. They regularly have bands playing, which have included the likes of Foo Fighters, Dinosaur jr, Sunset Sons, and Dizzee Rascal. They regularly have film nights, screening inde’ greats, art exhibitions, and more.

Back to BMX and skateboarding, House Of Vans regularly run skate (Skate Fri Days) and BMX (Bikes and Burgers) only nights, ensuring those on the decks and those on two wheels don’t collide in a mess of metal and maple. There are also girl only nights, and skate school sessions for people just starting out. While these lessons are free, they are ticketed, and sell our pretty quickly.

Opening times for House Of Vans vary depending on what events they have on, so for up to date information on that, competitions, exhibitions, skate school, and dedicated sessions, visit the House Of Vans website.

Where is House Of Vans?

7) Rampworx – Liverpool

Rampworx skatepark in Liverpool is an absolute monster of a park. At a whopping 70,000 square feet, it’s not only on of the biggest indoor skateparks in the UK, but one of the largest skateparks in Europe!

As you can imagine, being as big as it is, Rampwox has the capacity to offer just about everything you’d expect to find in a skatepark.  The largest, main hall is some 30,000 square foot of skateboard and BMX Nirvana. Split into three distinct sections, the first is full of jumps and boxes, the second is full of rails and ledges that are ideal for grinding and sliding. The third section is full of step-ups, flat banks and fun boxes.

The next room has a bowl that’s got something for every skater and BMX rider out there. There’s a section for beginners that’s just five feet deep (the shallow end, if you will), then moving through the seven foot section to the deep end that has a depth of nine feet.

The 15,000 square foot back room is all about street skating and riding. It has all the features you’d expect of a competition-worth street course, only with the terrain being slightly smaller, meaning beginners can use it just as well as people that have been shredding for years.

The final room at Rampworx is a foam pit, which is the perfect area for anybody learning a new trick, or trying to get something more difficult dialled. Unlike most other foam pits in the UK, the one at Rampworx has three points of entry: a massive ramp to the front, a quarter pipe to the left, and a roll-on to the right. As such, it’s perfect to learn on, whether your skateboard or BMX discipline.

Rampworx is open Tuesday to Friday, from 4pm- 10pm, and 10.30am-7pm on weekends. During the week a two hour session will cost £6.50, and an all day pass is just £7.50. Prices on the weekend start from £7.50 for a two hour session, and an all day pass is £12. If you live locally and want to skate or ride all week, you can get a week long pass for £20.

For more on opening times, prices, lessons, and what they’ve got packed into the massive facility, visit the Rampworx website.

Where is Rampworx Skatepark?

11 of the Strangest Skateparks You’ll Ever See

8) The Level – Brighton

When you think about the Uk’s best skateparks, you probably don’t picture open, grassy parks, and the shade of leafy trees. The Level, the premier skatepark in Brighton will make you think again. Situated in one of Brighton’s green flag parks, The Level is an outdoor park that makes the most of the sunnier climes of the South coast.

Formerly the park was made from wood and, frankly, had seen better days. So, in 2013, it was renovated as part of a restoration program by Brighton Council, in conjunction with the Brighton And Hove Skatepark Association. In its place now is a butter-smooth concrete park that’s a must-visit spot for skaters and BMX riders from all over the UK.

At the centre of the park is a large bowl made up of three different elements. The Northern point is a shallow, mellow bowl to the South is a deeper bowl – itself triangular in shape, and the the east is a rectangular bowl. The variation makes it ideal for all levels of rider to enjoy.

Running around all the edges of the bowl is a street plaza – mimicking the kind of genuine street spots you might find out in the real world. However, you’re not going to get hassle from grannies and their shopping bags riding this place. You know, unless the granny is dropping in as well.

There are all the features you’d expect in a progressive street plaza, including hubbas, rails, stair sets, ledges, boxes and wedges. Whatever your skateboard or BMX poison, you can satisfy it at The Level. It may not be the biggest skatepark in the world, but the intelligent design means that the possibilities at The Level are almost endless.

Skating and riding at the level is free of charge, and it’s open around the clock, so as long as there is enough sunlight, you can go and skate any time you want.

For more information about the skatepark, the area, how it is funded, and the ongoing work there, visit The Level website.

Where is The Level skatepark?

9) The Front – Weymouth

The Front in Weymouth might just be the most impressively located  of all the top UK skateparks. It sits right on the coast, with Weymouth Beach quite literally over the road, and the stunning Lodmore Country Park on the other side. There aren’t too many other top class skateparks where you can fill your lungs with healthy sea air from the English Channel.

The park itself is partly indoor, and partly outdoor and partly undercover. The indoor area hosts quite a street-feel technical skate area, full of flat banks, boxes, manual pads and gaps. Ideal for any would-be Rodney Mullen. There’s enough variation in the design to ensure that you’ll never run out of lines to skate.

There’s a dedicated beginners area outside, ideal for anybody new to BMX or skateboarding. Handily, it’s undercover, protecting all that ride there from any inclement weather. Also undercover is the half pipe or vert ramp. The Front’s vert ramp is split into two heights, meaning that both intermediate and advanced riders can shred it.

Also outside, but not under cover is a street park, complete with stairs, hubbas, rails, ledges, wedges and mini ramps. Obviously, with it being outside, it’s availability is weather dependent.

To ride at the front, you have to become a member. You can sign up for a week for £2 if you’re visiting the area, or pay £10 for a year long membership to ride the skatepark year round.

Again, being largely outdoors, The Front skatepark is at the mercy of reliably unreliable British weather, so opening times can vary from season to season, and even week to week. Along with your membership fee, two hour session at The Front start from £2.

For more on opening times, events, beginner sessions, and prices, visit the Front skatepark website.

Where is The Front skatepark?

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10) Dymanix – Gateshead

Dynamix in Gateshead is not only one of the best skateparks in the UK, but is also a recycler’s dream. The 40,000 square foot skatepark that stands there today was once a disused warehouse slowly gathering dust. However, where some way a battered old building, some local volunteers saw opportunity and set about creating one of the best skateparks in the UK.

Dynamix is even partially built using recycled and reclaimed materials that would otherwise be clogging up landfill. The park is a wood and concrete construction, and consists of specially designed ramps, bowls, boxes, spines, and two foam pits.

Skating and riding BMX at Dynamix skatepark costs £5 per session, with an additional £2 daily membership fee on top. There are also BMX and skateboard lessons available at the park, which require booking in advance.

It’s worth noting that Dynamix is also a cultural hub, offering extreme trampoline lessons, circus skills classes, parkour lessons and more. As such, the opening times, and when you can skateboard or ride your BMX is a little tricky.

The park is open Tuesday to Friday from 9am-9pm, with booked sessions only from opening time until 5pm. From 7pm-9pm on Tuesday it’s adults skating only, on Tuesday the skate park closes at 5pm, and on Thursday and Friday the skate park is open for sessions from 5pm-9pm, although under 16’s have to leave after 7pm. We did say it was a little tricky.

On weekends the park is open from 10am-9pm, but again, with alternative sessions running through the day.

For more on when you can skate, opening times, prices, and lessons, visit the Dynamix skatepark website.

Where is Dynamix skatepark?