Sometimes there’s nothing better than letting off some steam chasing some mates in a field with a gun stacked full of paint pellets – and hey, we’re not here to judge. Whether you’re looking for a bonding session for a stag do or are just wanting to do something a bit different and channel your inner Bruce Willis, then paintballing could be just the ticket.
Luckily for you dear reader, London is full to the brim with arenas in which to play this competitive sport – and all safety equipment (including masks) is included FYI. So, without further ado, here’s our rundown of ten of the best spots to enjoy paintball in London:
1. GO Paintball London
Kicking off this roundup of the best places to play paintball in London is GO Paintball London – a 50-acre outdoor playground with themed battlefields, five different game maps and all the best top-of-the-range equipment available.
Run by the former UK number one paintball player (AKA Tommy ‘Gun’ Pemberton) and located just 30 minutes’ by train from Central London, it’s one of the best places to go in town if you’re looking to test your paintballing skills. Plus, you get a free 9” Pizza Hut pizza with each paintballing package, so you can satiate your appetite after all that bloodlust. Plus, let’s face it – who doesn’t love a pizza?!
You’ll find GO Paintball London at Salmons Lane, Whyteleafe, CR3 0HB. Nearest station is Caterham.
2. Bunker 51
Situated just down the road from TeamSport Go Karting in the Docklands, Bunker 51 is a Cold War-themed nuclear bunker packed full of high-adrenaline activities. They’ve got two immersive indoor game zones here, as well as escape rooms, laser tag and even ‘zombie experiences’ – sounds fairly ominous to us!
They’re also London’s only indoor paintball centre, and have two separate zones where you can get trigger happy. The first of which, billed as the ‘Loading Bay’, is a large open game zone with multiple obstacles to hide behind including a truck, several small rooms for taking cover, flashing beacon lights and an exposed wall. The second, ‘Missile Silos’, is better for those who are looking for something more close quarters. It’s an L-shaped game zone featuring three large missile silos, missile launcher, multiple rooms for those seeking shelter and even a prison complex!
You’ll find Bunker 51 at 3 Herringham Road, Charlton, SE7 8NJ. Nearest station is Charlton.
3. UKPaintball (Upminster, Cobham, Whyteleafe)
Labelling themselves as the ‘UK’s number one paintballing company’, UKPaintball have more than 75 branches dotted all across the UK, with the closest to the big smoke being in Upminster, Cobham and Whyteleafe.
They specialise in birthday parties, work away days and stag and hen dos – and even offering bespoke costumes too. So, if you’re looking to hot foot it around a wooded arena shooting a paintball gun dressed as a banana – then this is the company for you! There’s even smoke grenades available here to make the game that little bit more interesting – sign us up.
You’ll find UKPaintball at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
4. Bedlam Paintball
Based up in Scotland but affiliated with 120 different sites across the entirety of the UK, Bedlam Paintball is not exactly slacking when it comes to their paintball game. Though they’ve got several sites near London Town that they use, arguably the star of the show is their indoor arena in North Greenwich.
Just a quick hop, skip and somersault from the 02 Arena, this celebrated spot incorporates several hundred feet of themed playing fields designed to resemble a nuclear bunker. So, gear up with the most technologically-advanced equipment, and enter into the adventure of your lives as you battle it out to save the world from imminent nuclear disaster. No pressure then.
You’ll find Bedlam Paintball at 3 Herringham Road, North Greenwich, London, SE7 8NJ. Nearest station is North Greenwich.
5. Mayhem Paintball
Set in beautiful woodland on London’s Essex borders, Mayhem Paintball has been going for over three decades now – and it’s easy to see why. They’ve got 16 different areas for you to get your paintballing game on – yep, seriously – as well as genuine battle tanks, aeroplanes, helicopters, and much more besides.
It’s easy to reach from the centre of London, and they even offer a free pick-up and drop-off service from Theydon Bois tube station near Epping Forest. Add in cutting-edge paintball guns, laser tag and an inflatable assault course and you’ve got yourself one hell of a day out here. No wonder it’s been featured on TOWIE then!
You’ll find Mayhem Paintball at Pryors Farm, Patch Park, Abridge, Essex, RM4 1AA. Nearest station is Theydon Bois.
6. Delta Force Paintball (Orpington, Upminster, Gerrards Cross, Luton, Hemel Hempstead and Crawley)
Next up on this roundup of the best places to find paintball in London is Delta Force – a leading paintballing provider whose USP is their movie set themed game zones. Based on the likes of hit films such Tomb Raider and games such as Call of Duty, you’ll be able to pretend like you’re on the silver screen as you’re shooting away – they’ve even got zombie graveyards and replica Wild Wild West villages at several of their sites!
Top tip – if you’re looking to pretend like you’re in Black Hawk Down, then make your way to their Hemel Hempstead branch. Located within the stunning Hertfordshire hills on the site of a restored WWII era US Air Force base, you’ll need to rescue your comrades from a crashed helicopter or play the hero as you regain control in Viet Cong Village.
You’ll find Delta Force Paintball at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
7. Kids Paintball (Greenwich, Broxbourne, Meopham, Watford and Slough)
As the name suggests, this one is for little nippers aged 8 to 15. They’ve got several sites not far from London, and it makes for a great day out with the kids we can tell you that for sure!
As well as low-impact paintball, they’ve got laser tag and ‘junior paintball’ too where each player will get up to 300-400 paintballs each. All training is given beforehand, and they even have sessions up to four hours long if you’re looking to wear the young’uns out!
You’ll find Kids Paintball at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
8. Go Ballistic Go Paintballing (Docklands, Hertford and Broxbourne)
With a whopping 191 different locations dotted all across the UK, Go Ballistic Go Paintballing! are the UK’s largest paintballing company, catering everything from corporate away days to Christmas parties and everything in between.
With over twenty years’ worth of experience under their belts, they seriously know their stuff, and they’ve got several locations not far from London Town for you to practise your skills. If you fancy something a bit different, we’d recommend trying their ‘Zombie Paintball’ – a downright terrifying experience where you have to fight off the zombie apocalypse and see if you can save the world. Yikes.
You’ll find Go Ballistic Go Paintballing at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
9. Britannia Paintball
Our penultimate entry onto this roundup of the best places to enjoy paintball in London is Britannia Paintball – a fantastic little spot based out in the woods of Surrey. Perhaps one of the city’s most affordable spots – games are from just £14.99 per person – they’ve got everything here from movie props to specially-themed game zones inspired by your favourite action movies, video games and TV shows.
So, if you’ve ever wanted to channel your inner Tom Cruise, then this is the place for you.
You’ll find Britannia Paintball at Horsley Road, Effingham, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 3JY. Nearest station is Effingham Junction.
10. Campaign Adventure Park
Rounding off this roundup of the best places to go paintballing in London is another Surrey-based spot. In fact, Campaign Adventure Park is just down the road from Britannia but it offers a whole range of different features and themes.
Perhaps the star of the show is ‘Dodge City’, which some say is ‘the most authentic ‘Wild West’ town this side of the Mississippi‘. Other realistic sets include WW1 trenches, a 30-foot-tall zombie tower, jungle zones, and much more too.
You’ll find Campaign Adventure Park at Old Lane, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1NH. Nearest station is Effingham Junction.
So there you have it – ten of the best places to enjoy paintball in London. Time to let loose, get your gear on and have some fun!