A coffee bar in a converted horse box, outdoor sofas and two panoramic courts in a barn is the charmingly rustic offering from new club The Padel Farm in York.
The Padel Farm opened last Saturday at Fridlington Farms in the village of Sutton on the Forest, a 15-minute drive north of York city centre, with free intro sessions for children and adults.
The project is the brainchild of Barney Spratt, Dan Hall and farm owner Callum Stark. Juniors will be a big focus at the club, with a Saturday morning kids’ club set to begin in the next few weeks. There will also be ladies’ taster sessions with free coffee.
The founders were inspired by a visit to Blazing Padels near Norwich, which opened last September and also has two padel courts situated in a coverted barn. The Padel Paper also featured another barn-based padel project last week, run by Padel Pod and situated on a farm near Arsenal’s training ground in Hertfordshire.
“The key for us is to try and create a community and diversify the farm as best we can,” co-founder Barney told The Padel Paper. “It’s only week one and the courts are already picking up traction every day.”
Barney is a salesman by trade whose ACL was “totally knackered” 10 years ago by playing rugby. “I hadn’t played any competitive sport for years until I discovered padel,” he says. “It’s amazing how accessible it is whatever your fitness levels or ability. I was hooked.”
Barney and Dan also operate Padel Court Construction (PCC), which very much does what it says on the tin. Launched last October, PDC is the exclusive UK partner of Spanish firm Padeltech and is currently working on build projects at a school in Somerset, a golf club in London and a rugby club in Hull.
“We offer the full turnkey service from planning, groundworks and court installation, right up to the opening of the courts,” said Barney. “We also offer partnerships with schools, sports clubs and other landowners who want to add padel to their facilities.”
