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Looking for a curling experience near Manchester? The Flower Bowl is the closest dedicated ice curling facility to the city, just 45 minutes up the M6. Unlike seasonal pop-ups, this is the real thing: an Olympic-sized rink with four ice sheets, open every day of the year, with guided sessions for complete beginners through to experienced curlers.
The North of England’s only dedicated curling hall, The Flower Bowl sits in Lancashire’s countryside near Preston. Whether you’re planning a group day out from Manchester, a unique date idea, or a team event with a difference, curling here is an experience that genuinely surprises people.
There are ice-free curling pop-ups that come and go with the seasons in Manchester city centre. What you get at The Flower Bowl is different. This is a permanent, purpose-built curling hall, on genuine competition-standard ice, with qualified coaching staff and four full-length sheets.
Sessions run seven days a week, from 10am through to 10pm. Every session includes equipment, a headband, specialist curling shoes, and a coached introduction to the game. Delivery aids are available for anyone who doesn’t want to bend down, making it genuinely accessible for all ages and abilities.
If you’ve never curled before, the two-hour Curling Experience is the place to start. By the end of it, you’ll understand why people get hooked.
The Flower Bowl is easy to reach from Manchester city centre.
By car: Take the M6 northbound and exit at Junction 32. Follow the A6 Broughton Bypass towards Garstang for around 3.5 miles, then turn left at the roundabout. The journey takes approximately 45 minutes from Manchester city centre. Free on-site parking is available.
Sat nav postcode: PR3 0RB
By public transport: Take a train from Manchester Piccadilly or Manchester Victoria to Preston (around 35 minutes). From Preston Bus Station, take the 40 or 41 bus along the A6, which stops close to the venue.
Most visitors from Manchester pair curling with a second activity and stay for food. The Flower Bowl has five places to eat and drink on site, from Blooms Restaurant to Barbossa Bar. While you’re here, you can also book:
Crazy Golf (18 holes, retractable roof)
Cinema (three screens)
It’s worth the drive just for the curling. The fact you can add bowling, crazy golf and a decent meal on top makes it an easy full day out from Manchester.
