You can book a badminton court at three leisure centres in Swindon, all run by Better: Croft Sports Centre, Dorcan and the Haydon Centre. You do not need to be a member. A court cost £18.75 for non-members when we checked on 10 November 2026.
Key details
| Centre |
Address |
Sports hall |
Parking |
| Croft Sports Centre |
Marlborough Lane, SN3 1RA |
Five badminton courts |
Free, 200 spaces, 6 disabled bays |
| Dorcan Better Health and Recreation Complex |
St Paul's Drive, Covingham, SN3 5DA |
Four-court hall |
Free, 200 spaces, 5 disabled bays |
| Haydon Centre and Gym |
Thames Avenue, Haydon Wick, SN25 1QQ |
Four-court hall |
Free, 100 spaces, 4 disabled bays |
Better, which runs six leisure sites in Swindon, says each of these halls hosts badminton, basketball and pickleball. The Link Centre in West Swindon does not list a sports hall or badminton courts. An earlier version of this page said badminton in Swindon was centred there.
How much does a court cost?
All three centres listed the same court prices on 10 November 2026:
| Who is booking |
Price for a court |
| Non-member |
£18.75 |
| Better adult resident |
£16.90 |
| Pay As You Go member |
£14.10 |
- A peak slot lasts 40 minutes and an off-peak slot lasts 60 minutes, for the same price
- Racquet hire is £2 a racquet
- A Pay As You Go membership is a yearly payment that gives lower activity prices, with no monthly fee
Prices change, so check the prices page for your centre before you book.
When are the peak times?
- Dorcan: Monday to Friday 7am to 9am and 4pm to 10pm. Saturday and Sunday 9am to 1pm
- Haydon Centre: Monday to Friday 7am to 9am and 4pm to 10pm. Saturday 7am to 2pm. Sunday 8am to 2pm
- Croft Sports Centre: Better's page does not list peak hours. Its timetable for 10 November showed 60-minute sessions in the afternoon and 40-minute sessions from 5pm
Opening times
These are the centre opening times Better listed for the week beginning 9 November 2026. Court times vary, so check the booking page.
- Croft Sports Centre: Monday, Tuesday and Friday 3pm to 10pm. Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 10pm. Saturday 9am to 1pm. Sunday 3pm to 7pm
- Dorcan: Monday to Friday 6.30am to 10pm. Saturday and Sunday 8am to 3pm
- Haydon Centre: Monday to Friday 7am to 10pm. Saturday and Sunday 7am to 2pm
How do you book a court?
- Create a free online account on Better's booking site. You do not have to be a member.
- Choose your centre on the Better Swindon page and pick badminton under "Book an activity". You can also use the Better UK app.
- Pick a slot and finish the booking. Non-members can book five days ahead. Members can book seven days ahead.
Cancelling: cancel in the app or online at least four hours before your slot and Better gives you account credit, valid for 12 months. If you cancel later, or do not turn up, it charges £3.
Getting there
- Croft Sports Centre: off Marlborough Lane in Old Town. The nearest bus stops are Evelyn Street, on Marlborough Road. Better lists storage for 25 bikes, ramp access and a lift
- Dorcan: on St Paul's Drive in Covingham. The nearest stop is St Ambrose Close, on St Paul's Drive. Better lists storage for 10 bikes and says the centre is adapted for wheelchairs
- Haydon Centre: on Thames Avenue. The nearest stops are Home Ground Surgery, on Thames Avenue. Better lists storage for 5 bikes and says the centre is adapted for wheelchairs
All three list accessible parking, an accessible toilet and accessible changing. Find routes and stops on our bus stops page.
Sessions, coaching and clubs
- Social sessions: Better runs Social Badminton and No Strings sessions for adults aged 16 and over at some of its centres, with Badminton England. Equipment is provided. We did not see any on the Croft timetable when we checked, so ask your centre
- Children: Better offers badminton lessons for under 16s at some centres. Ask at reception
- Clubs: we have not named badminton clubs or leagues, because we could not confirm any with the bodies that run them. To look for a club, try Badminton England's find a club page
Common questions
Do I need to be a member to play? No. Anyone can book with a free online account, but members and Pay As You Go members pay less.
How many courts are there? Croft Sports Centre has five badminton courts. Dorcan and the Haydon Centre each have a four-court sports hall.
Can I hire a racquet? Yes, for £2.
Related
Updated 10 November 2026: we moved badminton from the Link Centre, which has no sports hall on Better's list, to the three Better centres that do host it. We removed Swindon Badminton Club, the Swindon and District Badminton League, community hall sessions, coaching squads and holiday camps, because we could not confirm them.
Sources: Better pages for Swindon centres, Croft Sports Centre with its facilities, prices and timetable, Dorcan with its facilities and prices, the Haydon Centre with its facilities and prices, the Link Centre, badminton at Better and Better's help pages on booking ahead, booking without membership and cancelling; bus stop names from the Department for Transport's NaPTAN register. Checked 10 November 2026.
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