Squash Court in Islington: Six Courts and Friday Social Play

Sobell Leisure Centre on Hornsey Road, London N7 7NY, has six newly refurbished squash courts that you can book through the Better UK app. A non-member adult pays £12.80 off-peak and £18.25 at peak, while Better members pay £7.10 off-peak and £14.70 at peak. Court hire runs 7am to 10pm on weekdays and 8am to 6pm at weekends.

The centre's own description places it on Hornsey Road, a short walk from Finsbury Park and Holloway Road stations, with fitness, play and sport under one roof. On the squash page, Better says the six courts have been newly refurbished and that a session is 40 minutes: enough, it says, to have fun, get a good workout and burn lots of calories. That 40-minute unit shapes everything about how you plan a visit.

For the week commencing 19 October 2026, the opening-times box lists the centre as Monday to Friday 6:30am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 6pm. The squash courts are listed separately as Monday to Friday 7am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 6pm. Book squash through the app rather than turning up to see what is free.

The published price list gives four columns for adult squash: non-member, member, senior member and concessionary member. Non-members pay £18.25 at peak and £12.80 off-peak. Members pay £14.70 at peak and £7.10 off-peak. Senior members pay £13.70 at peak and £6.95 off-peak, and concessionary members pay £13.70 at peak and £6.80 off-peak.

The gap between columns is large enough to plan around. A non-member playing off-peak pays £12.80, while a member pays £7.10, which is £5.70 less per booking. Split between two players, a member's off-peak court costs £3.55 each. Peak pricing narrows the gap to £3.55, so the membership pays off mostly if you play off-peak.

Equipment is sold at reception. Racket hire costs £3.65 and a single squash ball costs £4.80, according to the same price list, and the squash page confirms racket hire is available and balls can be bought at reception. A complete beginner who books as a non-member off-peak and hires one racket and buys one ball therefore pays £21.25 in total, or £10.63 each if two people share the court and the kit.

Sobell is one of the easier London centres for finding a game, because it runs scheduled social sessions. The squash page lists a social drop-in on Fridays from 6pm to 8pm and another on Sundays from 4pm to 6pm, both open to all levels, and says they can be booked on the app or at reception. A coached session for complete beginners and returning players also runs on Fridays, according to the page.

Those social slots are the best answer to the standard squash problem of finding a partner. You turn up, get matched with other players of a similar standard, and play short games in rotation. They also help anyone who has not played since school, since the page describes the coached Friday session as being for people whose racket has started gathering dust.

Children are covered as well. Junior squash lessons run on Fridays, from 4pm to 5pm for ages 5 to 8 and from 5pm to 6pm for ages 9 and over, at £30.40 per month, led by England Squash qualified coaches. The page says equipment is provided free by the coach during the session, which makes a junior trial an easy first step for a family that does not own rackets.

Book through the Better UK app or the booking link on the squash page. The price list separates peak from off-peak, but the page does not publish which hours count as peak, so check the price shown for your chosen slot before you pay. Because the courts are 40-minute slots, a booking that starts at 7pm ends at 7:40pm, leaving a few minutes to change before the next players need the court.

Wear non-marking indoor shoes and bring a towel; Sobell also has a gym and a cafe in the same building, so you can warm up on a bike or grab a drink afterwards. The opening-times box lists the cafe as open Monday to Sunday 9am to 6pm. If you are paying as a member, remember that the member rate applies only when your membership is active, so check the app before you book.

A simple first-visit plan: book an off-peak slot as a non-member, hire a racket for £3.65 and buy one ball for £4.80, and bring a friend to split the £21.25. If you enjoy it, compare the member column before your second visit. Playing four off-peak sessions a month as a member costs £28.40 in court fees, against £51.20 for the same four sessions as a non-member, so the saving of £22.80 a month covers a good part of what a membership asks. Use the Sunday social if you want to keep playing without a fixed partner.

Sobell suits north London players who want a public court with several courts to choose from, beginners who prefer a structured coached session, and families looking for junior lessons. It is a good place for a regular weekly slot, because six courts means you are rarely locked out the way you can be at a three-court centre.

It is less suited to anyone who wants a glamorous club. This is a large public leisure centre, not a boutique squash club, and the peak price of £18.25 for non-members is not cheap for a single 40-minute hit. If you are a casual player, aim for off-peak hours, join as a member if you will play more than twice a month, and use the Friday and Sunday social sessions to find regular partners.

If Sobell is full, Better lists other London squash centres, including Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre and Oasis Sports Centre. But with six refurbished courts, a published price list, racket hire and coached and social sessions at one address, Sobell on Hornsey Road is one of the most complete public squash options in north London.