The Northern
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Images are representative of padel in Manchester. Real photos of this venue are on the way.
The lowdown
The Northern is one of Britain's oldest tennis clubs, founded in 1881, and it added two covered padel courts in December 2023, opened by Manchester-born tennis pro Liam Broady. This is not a purpose-built padel warehouse. It's a proper members' club with 21 tennis courts, six squash courts, gyms and a bar and bistro, The Lawn Room, and padel has been bolted onto that existing world. That gives it a different feel to most of the newer Manchester venues: bar, changing rooms, a bit of history on the walls, and a car park rather than a converted industrial unit.
It suits people in Didsbury, Chorlton and West Didsbury who want a club they can also use for tennis, squash or the gym, and who don't mind booking around only two courts. It's less good if you want to turn up on a Saturday afternoon and get a same-day slot, since with just two courts and a mix of members and public bookings, peak times fill up fast. Reviews rate the location and facilities highly but flag pricing and peak-time congestion as downsides.
The courts
Two padel courts, covered and floodlit, so they're playable in Manchester rain and after dark. The court surface isn't confirmed on the club's own site, and there's no separate show court, both courts are set up the same way.
Prices and booking
Members pay around £4.50 per person per hour per the club's own padel page. Guest and non-member rates are reported by third-party listings at roughly £10 to £12 per person for a 90-minute session, though this conflicts with the club's own structure, so check before you book. Racket hire is listed at £3 and balls at £6 per hour on the club site. Full club membership starts from £40 a month, with under-25 and under-30 options. Courts close at 10pm Monday to Saturday and 8pm on Sunday.