Talacre Badminton Hall in Kentish Town: Remodelled Courts

Talacre Community Sports Centre is a neighbourhood sports building tucked onto Dalby Street between Kentish Town and Chalk Farm, and it has just come through a major remodel. Better runs it with Camden Council, and its multi-use sports hall hosts badminton, basketball, football and pickleball through the week. It is smaller and quieter than the big leisure centres, which is exactly why local players like it for a relaxed game of singles or doubles close to home.

The centre sits beside Talacre Gardens, a small open space in the middle of a residential neighbourhood, and it works as a local resource rather than a regional sports venue. Better states plainly on its facilities page that Camden Council has completed a major remodelling and refurbishment of Talacre Community Sports Centre following engagement with the community. A brand-new soft play is now open, the dance studio has been refurbished with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a ballet bar, and the centre now runs with new published opening hours.

That refresh matters for badminton players, because tired community halls are often the first casualty of tight council budgets. Here the opposite has happened. The building now pairs its sports hall with a purpose-built gymnastics hall, a classroom on the second floor for meetings, a 2G seven-a-side pitch next door and the floodlit Cantelowes pitch nearby. It feels like a place designed for the families on the surrounding estates and streets, and the courts are open to anyone with a Better account.

Better describes the sports hall as a versatile, multi-use space that can be hired for many different sports, and the centre's overview lists football, basketball, badminton and pickleball sessions all week. You book a badminton court as an individual activity rather than hiring the whole hall, and during busy periods other games may be running alongside yours. Whole-hall hire for basketball and indoor five-a-side is priced separately for groups who want the entire floor.

Because the hall serves several sports and children's activities, the best courts go quickly at evening times. Plan ahead and book through the Better app when the slot you want opens. Wear non-marking indoor shoes, bring water and arrive a few minutes early to find your court. If you are new to the game, the gentle community atmosphere makes Talacre a comfortable place to learn, away from the intensity of a club night. Leave bags at the side of the hall rather than on court, so the next group can set up quickly when your slot ends.

The April 2026 price list shows adult badminton at a single anytime rate of £21.95 for non-members, £14.95 for pay-as-you-go members and £6.45 at the concession rate. The fee covers the court rather than each player, so four people sharing a doubles court as non-members pay a little under £5.50 each, and members pay under £3.75 each. Badminton rackets are listed as available to hire, so beginners do not need to buy kit before trying the game. Pay-as-you-go membership is the cheaper route if you expect to play more than a couple of times a month.

For larger groups, the same price list sets out whole-hall rates for basketball and indoor five-a-side and pitch hire at Cantelowes, where a third of the floodlit pitch costs £50.05 for an hour for non-members. Those prices are useful if your badminton group also plays football. Soft play for children is priced separately, which helps families who want a parent to play while younger children are busy elsewhere in the building.

For the week commencing 19 October 2026, Better lists Talacre Community Sports Centre as open Monday to Friday from 7am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 8pm. Better flags these as new opening hours on the centre page, and they give working players a usable window both early in the morning and late in the evening. The weekend hours run until 8pm, a little later than many neighbourhood sports halls.

The Cantelowes pitch keeps its own evening timetable, opening Monday and Tuesday from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, Wednesday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm, Thursday and Friday from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 6pm, with Saturday closed. For a badminton court, a weekend morning just after opening is often the calmest time, before the children's programmes and birthday parties fill the building.

Talacre Gardens next to the centre is a pleasant green space for a cool-down, and from there it is a short walk to the shops and cafes of Kentish Town Road. The Pineapple at 51 Leverton Street is a much-loved Victorian pub on a quiet residential street, a good place for a pint after an evening game. Music fans can continue to the O2 Forum Kentish Town at 9-17 Highgate Road, one of north London's classic concert venues.

Walking south-west instead brings you to Chalk Farm Road and the Roundhouse, the former railway engine shed turned arts venue, and on to Camden Market by the canal. Primrose Hill, with its view over central London, is reachable on foot in around twenty minutes. Parkway in Camden Town has a good spread of restaurants for a group dinner if you want to make the evening a longer social outing after your match.

Address: Talacre Community Sports Centre, Dalby Street, Kentish Town, London NW5 3AF. Kentish Town West on the Overground is the closest station, and Chalk Farm and Kentish Town on the Northern line are within walking distance. Buses 24, 46, 88, 134, 214 and 393 stop nearby. Hours for the week of 19 October 2026: Monday to Friday 7am to 10pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 8pm.

Badminton costs £21.95 per court for non-members, £14.95 for pay-as-you-go members and £6.45 at the concession rate, with rackets available to hire. Book through the Better website or app. The centre has accessible parking, accessible changing, a lift and assistance-dog-friendly access. Bring non-marking shoes and your own shuttles, and pair your game with a walk through Talacre Gardens or a drink on Leverton Street.