Saxon & Medieval — Medieval
Ice skate
In 1173 William FitzStephen described how Londoners went skating on polished bone skates like this when the marsh north of the city, known as the Moor or Moorfields, froze in winter.
'When the great marsh which washes the northern walls of the city freezes, crowds of young men go out to play on the ice. Some of them fit shinbones of cattle on their feet, tying them round their ankles. They take a stick with an iron spike in their hands and strike it regularly on the ice, and are carried along as fast as a flying bird or a bolt from a catapult.'
- Category:
- Saxon & Medieval
- Object ID:
- A1631
- Object name:
- Ice skate
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- —
- Related events:
- —
- Related places:
- Production date:
- Medieval
- Material:
- bone
- Measurements/duration:
- H 23 mm, L 270 mm, W 35 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Credit:
- —
- Copyright holder:
- digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.