The Medway towns have never been a single place – Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, and Strood all blur together into one conurbation without ever quite merging into one identity. Padel here is similar: spread across the area, with venues in Gillingham, Chatham, and Frindsbury (the corner of Rochester nearest to Strood) giving players across the conurbation a reasonable range of options.
The headline venue is Frindsbury Tennis and Padel Club, which has the largest set of outdoor floodlit courts in Medway. But the picture is broader than one club, and if you’re in Chatham or Gillingham you have closer options worth knowing about.
Frindsbury Tennis and Padel Club
Frindsbury is the biggest and most developed padel setup in the Medway area. Outdoor floodlit courts on Frog Island (Upnor Road, ME2 4UX), adjacent to Rochester – close enough to be within cycling distance of Rochester town centre, but on the Strood side of the river.
Alongside the padel courts the club also has tennis courts, a clubhouse with a bar and changing rooms, and on-site parking (the club warns space can run short at busy events).
Being outdoor, the courts are usable year-round thanks to floodlights – open from 6am to 10:30pm, seven days a week. The seasonal question that plagues some venues doesn’t apply here as long as you’re prepared for a wet January session.
Booking is through the club’s dedicated mobile app, and pricing now runs on a peak/off-peak split. Off-peak (weekday mornings and early afternoons, or weekend evenings) is £36 per 90-minute court for non-members (£9 per person with four players) and £27 for members (£6.75 per person). Peak times (weekday evenings, or weekend mornings and afternoons) rise to £44 for non-members (£11 per person) and £33 for members (£8.25 per person). Annual padel membership costs £100; the member rate applies only to the member’s share of the booking. Racket hire is £5 each, capped at £10 for a full court of four.
Frindsbury’s social side is well-developed, with regular sessions. A player rating system is in place, with rating sessions on Sunday mornings and open matches you can join through the app.
Address: Frog Island, Upnor Road, Rochester, ME2 4UX
Courts: ten listed on the club’s own booking system (Padel Courts 1–10, October 2026); outdoor, floodlit
Hours: 6am–10:30pm, 7 days
Booking: Club app
Off-peak pricing: £36 per 90-minute court non-member (£9/person), £27 member (£6.75/person)
Peak pricing: £44 per 90-minute court non-member (£11/person), £33 member (£8.25/person)
Tour Padel at Medway Campus
If you’re in Gillingham or central Chatham, the Tour Padel venue at the Medway Campus (Sports Hall, University of Greenwich, ME4 4AG) is worth knowing. Two outdoor courts on campus, bookable via Playtomic, open 6am–11pm daily.
Tour Padel runs courts at two University of Greenwich campuses (Medway and Avery Hill) and has a WhatsApp community for keeping up with sessions. Pricing runs at approximately £6 per person off-peak, £7 at peak, which is on the reasonable end for Medway.
The campus location gives it decent parking and accessibility from the Chatham side of the conurbation, though it’s a bit further from Rochester than Frindsbury.
Address: Sports Hall, Medway Campus, University of Greenwich, Chatham, ME4 4AG
Courts: 2 outdoor
Hours: 6am–11pm, 7 days
Booking: Playtomic
Pricing: Approximately £6/person (off-peak)
Platform 26, Chatham
Platform 26 Padel sits at Waterfront Way, Chatham (ME4 4JT) – two courts in central Chatham, convenient for players based in that part of the conurbation. The venue runs on a pay-and-play basis and is open 8am–10pm on weekdays and 8am–8pm at weekends. Booking has moved to the Nettla app – search for Platform 26 Padel Chatham, follow the venue, and book a court directly.
Pricing is banded by session length and time of day: £24 per 60 minutes off-peak, £30 per 60 minutes peak, £36 per 90 minutes off-peak, and £45 per 90 minutes peak. That’s more flexible than a flat rate if you’re only after a shorter session.
This is a straightforward court-booking option – two courts, no frills, for those who want something closer to Chatham itself. It also operates as the venue for some of the Katie B’s Tennis in the Park sessions that serve the Medway area.
Address: Waterfront Way, Chatham, ME4 4JT
Courts: 2
Hours: Mon–Fri 8am–10pm, Sat–Sun 8am–8pm
Booking: Nettla app
Pricing: £24/60min off-peak, £30/60min peak, £36/90min off-peak, £45/90min peak
The social scene across Medway
Frindsbury is where the social infrastructure is most developed. Open matches, rating sessions and an active club community make it the natural home for players who want something beyond court-booking. If you’re new to padel, or returning after a gap, this is the venue with the programmes to support you.
At Tour Padel Medway Campus, the WhatsApp community is the easiest way to find out what’s running.
For those across Kent looking at the broader county picture, Frindsbury is one of two flagship venues (alongside PADELHUB in Tunbridge Wells) that anchor the county’s padel scene.
Getting there from across Medway
From Rochester station, Frindsbury is the most convenient option – it’s a short taxi ride or a longer walk across the river. Parking at Frindsbury is on-site.
From Chatham, Platform 26 is closest if you want to keep it simple. Tour Padel Medway Campus is also accessible from Chatham, at Chatham Maritime, north of the town centre.
Gillingham is best served by Tour Padel on campus – a short trip regardless of whether you’re arriving by car or on foot from the university side of Gillingham.
From London, the Medway towns are under an hour from St Pancras on the high-speed Southeastern service. Rochester station is the most central arrival point if Frindsbury is your destination.
What’s ahead for Medway padel
The Medway Council and LTA renovation project upgrading park tennis courts at The Strand in Gillingham opened in May 2025, though those conversions have focused on tennis so far.
There’s a fourth venue on the horizon too, though it’s still at the planning stage. David Lloyd has proposed padel courts at David Lloyd Gillingham (formerly Avenue Tennis) on Featherby Road, alongside new pools and a spa. The plans are still subject to planning approval and there’s no confirmed opening date, so it’s one to watch for now. David Lloyd Platinum members can already play on three outdoor courts at David Lloyd Dartford (Darenth Road, DA1 1NJ), booked through the David Lloyd app.
With three venues already across the conurbation and more facilities in the pipeline, the Medway padel scene is on a clear upward trajectory. Frindsbury remains the one to visit first, but the others give you options depending on where in the conurbation you’re based.
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