The Rom Skatepark

The Rom Skatepark is a skatepark constructed in 1978, designed by Adrian Rolt of G-Force. It occupies an 8,000 square meter site just west of Upper Rainham Road, situated within a green corridor alongside the River Rom. The central 4,000 square meters are surfaced with shotcrete (pressurised concrete), and feature a series of bowls and hollows of varying shapes.

The skatepark’s design reflects Californian precedents, drawing inspiration from locations such as Skateboard Heaven in Spring Valley, California and the San Diego 'Soul Bowl'. The main features, arranged clockwise, include: The Pool, a twin-lobed bowl approximately 6.7 meters in diameter and 2.75 meters deep, with a 2-meter ramp at one end, metal rim, and a 'marbleite' resin lining over the shotcrete. This is further accentuated by a raised flagstone-like surround (‘coping’) and blue mosaic tiles beneath the rim, reinforcing the appearance of a swimming pool. Next is The Moguls, comprised of six interlinked bowls of varying depth and diameter, arranged in a triangular formation, each separated by a high concrete shoulder. Then comes the Performance Bowl, a 9-meter diameter bowl up to 4 meters deep, with a long, wedge-shaped entry ramp and, initially, a curving vertical wall that increased its depth, but was later removed. The Slalom Run and Freestyle Area consists of a ramp running east-west; the eastern end is raised, descending to the west into a shallow rectangular bowl for freestyle maneuvers. The Snake Run is a serpentine formation, becoming progressively deeper. The Four-Leaf Clover comprises four small bowls of unequal depth, arranged in a clover-leaf pattern and separated by shallow concrete lips. Finally, there's the Half-Pipe, a capsule-shaped bowl with vertical walls that have been partially lowered and shortened since its construction. Temporary or moveable wooden ramps are positioned throughout the site, along with a clubhouse and indoor mini-ramp to the north, which are not considered to be of special interest.