Haverhill got its first padel courts in May 2026, when PADALL Haverhill opened at The New Croft on Chalkstone Way. If you’ve been driving to Cambridge or Bury St Edmunds for a game, or you’ve never played because nowhere local had courts, this is the practical guide: what’s there, what it costs, and how to book.
The venue: PADALL Haverhill at The New Croft
PADALL Haverhill (run by Haverhill Padel Club Limited) sits at The New Croft, Chalkstone Way, CB9 0BW – the town’s first dedicated padel facility. It opened officially on Sunday 6 May 2026, though the soft-opening period beforehand had all three courts fully booked every evening for two weeks, a decent early sign of demand in a town that had nowhere to play padel before.
The club was founded by Callum Slater, who previously ran the fitness business Tribe Training in Haverhill and is now based in nearby Newport, Essex. The opening event drew more than 200 people, with free pizza, complimentary coaching, and an exhibition match featuring UK professional players including Ewan Ramsden, owner of everythingpadel.co.uk.
Alongside the courts, there’s a bar/café on site, racket hire, and coaching for players who want lessons rather than just court time. It’s a familiar model if you’ve played at other new-build venues around the country – court hire as the core offer, with the café and social space built in so people stick around after a match rather than heading straight home.
Courts, pricing, and booking
PADALL Haverhill has three courts, described on its own listing as roofed, double, and panoramic – covered courts you can play on regardless of weather, which matters given how many outdoor courts in this region get rained off. Court hire runs roughly £28-32 an hour, split between however many players you bring, which puts it in line with other covered venues in the area rather than at a premium.
Bookings go through the Playtomic app, which is also how the club manages its court calendar day to day. You’ll also find it listed on Playskan and TrustPadel if you’re comparing venues across a booking aggregator, but Playtomic is the one to use to reserve a slot. The club is open 7am to 10pm, seven days a week, and racket hire is available if you don’t own kit yet.
Given how quickly the soft-opening weeks filled up, weekday evenings and weekend mornings are the slots most likely to go early. If you’re planning a regular game with the same group, booking a few days ahead gives you a much better shot at your preferred time than trying on the day.
What to expect as a new player
As a first-year venue, PADALL Haverhill doesn’t have the multi-court sprawl of a bigger regional club – three courts is a small operation, and it’s worth booking ahead rather than turning up and hoping, especially at peak evening slots given how quickly the soft-opening weeks filled up. That said, a small venue has its upsides: it’s easier to get a feel for the regulars, the bar area gives you somewhere to hang around after a match, and staff have more time to help you set up a first booking or point you toward coaching if you’re brand new to the sport.
There’s no membership requirement. You book a court, you turn up, you play – the same pay-and-play model most casual players are used to from Playtomic elsewhere.
Nearest alternatives
If you want a change of scene or Haverhill’s three courts are booked out, Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds are both around 19 miles away and each have their own dedicated padel scene worth a look – we’ve covered both in full. Bury St Edmunds in particular has grown into one of the busier padel towns in Suffolk, with multiple venues and more courts in planning. Colchester is a bit further at roughly 30 miles, but is also worth the trip if you’re passing that way and fancy a look at a bigger club.
For most Haverhill players, though, having covered courts five minutes from the town centre is the bigger story: this is the first time locally that padel hasn’t meant a drive first. Villages around Haverhill – Kedington, Clare, Steeple Bumpstead – are all closer to PADALL than to any of the alternatives above, so this is likely to become the default option for a wider catchment than the town itself.
Looking to compare with somewhere else? Browse all UK towns we cover for court guides across the country.