A former bakery warehouse near York has been transformed into North Yorkshire’s first dedicated pickleball venue by a group of enthusiasts.
The Pickleball Shed, located near Sutton-on-the-Forest, offers five illuminated and year-round playable courts, with heating to ensure comfort in all seasons.
Pickleball, a rapidly rising sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, is popular across ages due to its low-impact nature.
One of the five founders, 58-year-old Gill Page, explains, “We’ve welcomed three generations under one roof—grandparents, their children, and their grandchildren.”
Ms. Page also shared her personal journey: she used to play tennis but arthritis in her knees made it impossible to continue. That’s when she discovered pickleball with her family.
“I missed sports, I missed competition,” she said. “I missed hitting a great shot—or sometimes a not-so-great one—and I missed laughing with friends in a rally.”
The venture began when she and her husband, Alan, met fellow investors Sally Bell-Syer, Malcolm Lightbody, and Sue Jones about two years ago. Their aim was to create a dedicated pickleball hub, and they soon found an ideal site in an unused bakery warehouse that had stood idle for two years.
“Finding that space felt almost like a gift,” Page notes, adding that the venue was already modernized and underwent refurbishments.
The founders invested tens of thousands of pounds, with improvements including a specialized floor and cushioned acrylic courts to provide shock absorption and ease joint strain.
Page remarked, “People tell us we should be proud of what we’ve built, but I’m simply delighted to see people enjoying themselves.”
Today, the centre runs open-play sessions, coaching programs, tournaments, leagues, and social events.
Visitors from the Wirral, Jill Connor, 64, and her husband, described their experience as “brilliant” on the purpose-built courts. Connor added, “The ball bounces better here, and you can clearly see everything.”
Nathan Hill, a coach at The Pickleball Shed, called the sport highly addictive. At 53, Hill represented England at the European Championship in Rome earlier this year and is pleased to see rising demand meet a new venue.
“If you rewind two years, York had only a few places to play besides Tadcaster Leisure Centre and Easingwold. Now there are roughly 50,000 to 100,000 pickleball players in the UK, and I predict it could reach about a million within three to five years.”
Hill also notes a unique aspect of the sport: a 74-year-old can beat a 28-year-old, highlighting its broad appeal across ages.
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