12: Sport for everyone

It doesn’t matter whether you are eight or eighty, there is plenty of sport to be enjoyed in and around Axminster and plenty of well-run clubs who will help you find your level. If football is your game, then you could play with Axminster Town FC in the giddy heights of the South West Peninsula League. There is also some highly watchable cricket played not just by Axminster CC but in several surrounding villages. And skittles is a real local favourite.

At Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre you can apply yourself to both indoor and outdoor bowls and to much more besides, while Axminster Leisure Centre has the benefit of an all-weather synthetic (and floodlit pitch) as well as a big sports hall. With the Flamingo Pool, several well-equipped gyms and schools often sharing their own facilities, there are few sporting interests not catered for.

But sport also integrates itself into Axminster’s wider ethos of community. Children are getting enthusiastic encouragement. Women are playing sports that once tended to be the preserve of men. Some see local sport as a route to becoming super fit. For others it’s a route to getting well or overcoming loneliness. It just works!

Designer: Pippa Galvin

“Axminster has so many sporting activities for all ages and interests to get involved in. It was hard to narrow down to just a few, but hopefully the result is bold and vibrant.”

Location: The George Hotel, George Street