Selby has a population of around 15,000. It has two padel venues. For context, that’s the same court-provider count as plenty of towns five times its size – and it raises an obvious question before you even book a court: why does a market town between Leeds and York need two separate places to play?

The short answer is timing and geography. Selby Padel Club got there first, converting outdoor space at a community centre into a low-cost, come-as-you-are option. The Padel Shed followed with a purpose-built indoor site a mile out of town, betting that players wanted a weatherproof alternative and were willing to travel a short distance for it. Neither venue is short of bookings. Between them, Selby now has 6 courts – a mix of indoor and outdoor, doubles and singles – which is more variety than you’ll find in most places this size.

Here’s what each venue offers, which one suits your game, and how a town this size ended up with a padel scene bigger than its population would suggest.

Why does Selby have two padel clubs?

Padel’s UK growth has clustered around cities and their commuter belts, so a market town of 15,000 supporting two venues stands out against the national pattern. The explanation isn’t one big investor spotting an opportunity and building twice. It’s two separate operators reading the same demand signal from different angles, a few years apart.

Selby Padel Club grew out of existing community infrastructure. Brayton Community Centre already had space, parking, and a use case for evening and weekend activity – padel courts were an addition to a site that was already serving the town, not a new venue built from nothing. That kept costs down and let the club price accessibly, with a membership model built around regulars who’d use the space anyway.

The Padel Shed took the opposite route: purpose-built, indoor, positioned just outside town rather than in it. That’s a bigger upfront bet, and it only makes sense if the operator judged there was appetite beyond what a community court could absorb – enough demand for a dedicated site with weatherproofing and a singles offering the first venue didn’t have. Both venues are still running and taking bookings, which suggests the market judged correctly, or at least that Selby’s players are happy to split their time between the two.

Selby Padel Club: outdoor courts at Brayton

Selby Padel Club sits at Brayton Community Centre on Foxhill Lane (YO8 9TP), a five-minute drive from the town centre. It has 2 outdoor panoramic courts, open Monday to Saturday 6am-10pm and Sunday 7am-10pm.

This is the community option. Parking is free, there’s equipment rental on site if you’ve turned up without a racket, and a vending machine covers the basics. The club runs coaching and social sessions alongside open bookings, so it’s a reasonable place to start if you’re new to the sport and want a bit of structure rather than just turning up and hoping someone needs a fourth.

Being outdoor, courts are exposed to the weather – fine for most of the year, less appealing in driving rain or a hard frost. Panoramic courts (glass at the ends rather than full mesh sides) still play like standard padel courts; the difference is mostly in how much you can see of the surrounding area mid-rally.

Booking is via Playtomic, and the club offers a membership (around £100/year) that knocks a couple of pounds off each game.

The Padel Shed: indoor courts and singles

A mile outside town, in a rural setting on Flaxley Road (YO8 3RJ), The Padel Shed runs 4 indoor courts – 2 doubles courts and 2 singles courts. It’s open every day, 6am-10pm.

The singles courts are the detail worth knowing about. Padel is built around doubles, and most UK venues, including Selby Padel Club, only offer the standard four-player format. If you want to play 1v1 – working on movement and shot precision without three other people on court – The Padel Shed is currently the only place in Selby that lets you do it.

Being fully indoor means no rained-off sessions and consistent conditions year-round, which matters if you’re training regularly rather than playing when the weather allows. The venue has free parking, changing rooms, WiFi, and a vending machine. Membership runs around £12/month or £120/year, with a discount on court fees, and there are off-peak multi-hour bundles if you play often enough to make them worthwhile.

Booking is via Playtomic, same as Selby Padel Club.

Which one should you choose?

If you want free parking, a community feel, and don’t mind playing outdoors, Selby Padel Club is the simpler option and slightly closer to town. If you want guaranteed indoor conditions, more court choice, or specifically want to play singles, The Padel Shed is the one to book. Price-wise, expect somewhere in the £24-£40 per hour range at either venue depending on time slot, with membership rates bringing the average down – worth confirming current pricing on each venue’s Playtomic listing before you book, since off-peak and member rates vary.

Plenty of regular players in Selby use both, picking based on weather, court availability, or whether they fancy doubles or singles that day. There’s no wrong choice here – just two decent venues covering different needs for a town that, by rights, probably shouldn’t need either of them yet.

A practical tip either way: both venues sit outside the town centre – Brayton Community Centre a short drive south, The Padel Shed a mile out on Flaxley Road – so factor in a few minutes’ travel rather than assuming you can walk from Selby’s train station. Weekday evenings and weekends are the busiest slots at both, as you’d expect, so booking a day or two ahead through Playtomic gives you a much better chance of getting the time you want.

Nearest alternatives if you’re travelling

If neither Selby venue has a slot free, York is the nearest larger option, with three venues covering indoor and outdoor play, including The Padel Farm’s two indoor panoramic courts. Wressle Grange Padel Club, just over the county line in East Yorkshire, also has two covered panoramic courts bookable via Playtomic and is worth considering if you’re comparing options rather than committed to staying in town.

For players happy to go further afield, Leeds has significantly more capacity, including Slazenger’s 12-court site – useful if you’re chasing a specific time slot that Selby can’t offer.

The takeaway

Two venues, 6 courts, and a real choice between indoor and outdoor, doubles and singles – that’s an unusually strong padel offering for a town of 15,000 people. Book via Playtomic, pick based on weather and format, and don’t be surprised if Selby’s court count keeps growing before its population catches up.

For court guides in other parts of the UK, browse the full directory of towns we cover.