Padelism is designed in London and run from Essex, by one person. Me. The first two orders ever came from people sitting in the garden of my local padel club, watching a game, after I'd been telling everyone the hoodies were "my friend's brand". Club padel is where this whole thing started, and Essex is home now.
This is the guide I'd give a mate who's just moved here. I've played at loads of clubs around the county, and every club below has been checked against its own booking page or listing. Where something couldn't be confirmed, I've said so. Nobody paid to be on it.
Padel is busy right now. The LTA counted 1,000,000 players in Britain in May 2026, up from 860,000 at the end of 2025. In Essex that mostly means two things: book early, and know which courts have a roof.
Essex padel at a glance
| Club | Town | Courts | Roof | Book through |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaulieu Padel | Chelmsford CM3 | 6 | All indoor | Padelmates |
| Padel United Chelmsford | Great Baddow CM2 | 2 | Outdoor | Playtomic |
| Padel United Maldon | Maldon CM9 | 4 | 3 covered, 1 outdoor | Playtomic |
| Brentwood Padel Club | Little Warley CM13 | 6 | 3 canopied, 3 outdoor | Club app |
| Padel4all Garon Park | Southend SS2 | 4 | 3 covered, 1 open-air | Padel4all site |
| The Essex Golf & Country Club | Earls Colne CO6 | 6 | All indoor | Playtomic |
| Prested Padel Club | Feering CO5 | 4 | 2 indoor, 2 outdoor | Phone or email |
| Epping and Ongar Padel | Theydon Mount CM16 | 3 | All indoor | MATCHi |
| David Lloyd (Chigwell, Southend, Colchester) | Various | 2 to 3 | Mostly outdoor | DL app, members |
Chelmsford
Beaulieu Padel is the big indoor option in mid-Essex. Six courts under a 13-metre roof on Channels Drive (CM3 3FB), open 6am to 10pm every day. There's a café that does coffee, pizza and a drink after, a warm-up gym, showers and free parking. Members get the ice bath and infrared sauna for free.
It's also the only club here that publishes its court prices. A 90-minute court costs £84 at peak and £64 off-peak, so £21 or £16 each for four of you. A levelling session is half an hour on court with a coach, free for new members and £12 otherwise, and it puts you into one of seven colour groups. That's handy if you want games with people at your level and don't know anyone yet.
Padel United Chelmsford sits on the Great Baddow Recreation Ground (CM2 9RL). Two outdoor panoramic courts, free parking and not much else. No café, no roof. Getting started is cheap, though: the weekend beginner mix-in is listed at £5.50. Open 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm on Sunday. Go prepared for weather.
Maldon
Padel United Maldon on Park Drive (CM9 5UR) has three covered courts and one outdoor panoramic court, with a café, a shop, changing rooms and parking. Weekday hours run 7am to 10pm. Weekends close at 6pm, which catches people out on a Saturday evening. Midweek there's a Wednesday peak-time mix-in at £9, and Friday evening tournaments are listed at £8.
Brentwood
Brentwood Padel Club is on Childerditch Lane in Little Warley (CM13 3FD). Six fully panoramic outdoor courts, three of them canopied. The club's own write-up says it grew from three courts to six, and MATCHi lists six too. There's a fully stocked bar and changing rooms, and you book through the club's own app. Hours are 7am to 10pm. Open matches are the way in if your usual four can't make it, and tournament days have come with slow dough pizza.
A canopy keeps rain off the glass. It does nothing for the wind on an open site in December, so dress for outdoors.
Close by: Powerleague Romford opened four covered courts at the King George Playing Fields after a £750,000 investment. David Lloyd Chigwell has three outdoor courts, booked through the David Lloyd app. Its page only mentions access for Platinum members.
Southend
Padel4all Garon Park is inside the Southend Leisure and Tennis Complex on Eastern Avenue (SS2 4FA). Three covered, lit courts and one open-air panoramic show court. There's racket hire, a Padel4all store and GameCam for match video. Court prices aren't on the page, so check the booking site.
David Lloyd Southend has two outdoor courts. You can borrow rackets and buy balls at reception. Again, the page only talks about Platinum members.
Colchester and north Essex
The Essex Golf & Country Club at Earls Colne has six indoor courts, and one of them is a singles court. If you only have one other person free, it's the place to go. Visitors can book padel through Playtomic, and there's a restaurant, changing rooms and lockers. Friday and weekend hours finish at 9pm.
Prested Padel Club in Feering (CO5 9EE) opened two indoor courts in January 2017 and has since added two outdoor ones. It sits at Prested Hall, a hotel with a health club, a 20-metre pool and a spa. There's no pay and play, so you contact the club by phone or email about membership. Good if you want a proper club with a regular crowd. Less good for a spontaneous Tuesday booking.
David Lloyd Colchester has two outdoor courts, one of them due to go under cover. Platinum package only, per its page.
Epping
Epping and Ongar Padel is at Mount Farm, Theydon Mount (CM16 7PX). Three indoor panoramic courts, bookable 6am to 10.30pm every day through MATCHi. They run group lessons at £18.50, Americano tournaments at £18 and kids' half-term camps. Court prices aren't listed publicly.
Membership maths: when it pays for itself
Most Essex clubs sell a membership that knocks a percentage off court hire. The sum is simple. Divide the fee by the discount and you get how much you'd need to spend on courts in a year before it pays back.
| Club | Fee | What it gets you | Pays back once you spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaulieu Padel | £330 a year, or £30 a month | 15% off courts, 20% off training, book 14 days ahead, free recovery suite | £2,200 a year on courts |
| Padel United Chelmsford | £75 a year | 20% off courts, book up to 21 days ahead | £375 a year on courts |
| Padel United Maldon (Adult Passport) | £65 a month | Unlimited free off-peak bookings | Depends on court price, not published |
| Padel United Maldon (annual) | £100 a year | Member rates on courts and events, book up to 24 days ahead | Discount not published |
| Padel4all Garon Park (PadelPlus) | Not on the page | Court discount, 14-day priority booking, free racket hire | Ask the club |
What that means in games:
- Beaulieu. £2,200 is about 26 peak courts if you book and pay for the whole court. If you only ever pay your £21 quarter, it's about 105 peak games before the 15% covers the fee. On court savings alone, it suits the person who books for the group. The free sauna, ice bath and training discount are the extras that tip it for everyone else. Paying monthly costs £360 over a year, so the yearly option is £30 cheaper.
- Padel United Chelmsford. Prices aren't public, so check your own receipts. If you spend more than £375 a year on courts there, the £75 has paid for itself. Over-65s pay £60 for the same 20%.
- Maldon Passport. Look at what one off-peak booking costs you in the app. If your usual month of daytime games costs more than £65, the Passport wins. If you only play evenings and weekends, it does nothing for you.
What to wear to Essex courts
Count the roofs in the table. Only Beaulieu, Essex Golf and Epping and Ongar are fully indoor. Everywhere else has at least some courts that are canopied or open to the sky. That's a lot of evenings stood in a cold car park, then sat outside afterwards because nobody wants to go home yet.
So play in proper sports kit, and keep something heavy in the bag for after. Before I'd sold a thing, I wore my own samples to the club, and that's how the first sale happened.
- For the car park. The Bagel Boyz Box Hoodie is £75, in the same 350 g/m2 soft fleeced cotton blend as our other box hoodies, with a fleeced inside for exactly this part of the evening. The rest are in hoodies.
- For the pizza. Beaulieu's café does it, and so have Brentwood's tournament days. The Padel & Pizza tee is 100% cotton at 305 g/m2, £48, or it can be one of two tees for £90 at checkout.
- For the 6am slot. Beaulieu and Epping and Ongar both open at six. The Wake Up For Padel enamel mug is for whoever booked it.
Browse all tees here. Delivery in the UK is free on orders of £75 and over, so that hoodie ships free on its own. If you're between sizes, the size guide has the measurements.
FAQ
Where can I play indoor padel in Essex? Beaulieu Padel in Chelmsford (6 indoor), The Essex Golf & Country Club at Earls Colne (6 indoor), Epping and Ongar Padel (3 indoor) and Prested Padel Club in Feering (2 indoor, members). Maldon and Garon Park have covered courts too.
How much does padel cost in Chelmsford? At Beaulieu Padel a 90-minute court is £84 peak or £64 off-peak, so £21 or £16 each between four. Padel United Chelmsford doesn't publish court prices, but its weekend beginner mix-in is £5.50.
Is a padel membership worth it in Essex? Only if you play enough. At Beaulieu you'd need to spend £2,200 a year on courts before the 15% covers the £330 fee. At Padel United Chelmsford it's £375 a year for the £75 membership. The table above has the rest.
Is there padel in Brentwood? Yes. Brentwood Padel Club on Childerditch Lane, Little Warley, has six outdoor courts, three canopied, booked through its own app. Powerleague Romford and David Lloyd Chigwell are the nearest alternatives.
Can I play padel at David Lloyd without being a member? The Chigwell, Southend and Colchester pages only mention Platinum members and don't say either way. Ask the club before you book.
Can I hire a padel racket in Essex? Yes. Beaulieu, Padel United Maldon, Garon Park and The Essex Golf & Country Club all list racket or equipment rental, and David Lloyd lends them from reception.
