Today (Tuesday 20 June) Brent Cross Town has announced an exciting new opening planned for this autumn called ‘The 108’ which will be the first indoor destination for baseball and softball in Europe.

The 108 will have four batting cages provided by the popular American baseball game centre HitTrax, as well as the three bases and a home plate. The new indoor centre will offer training facilities for everyone, from professional teams to social games, casual hitting practice and anyone wanting to try out the sport.

As well as its playing facilities, The 108 will serve food and drinks, have big screens to watch sports games, a retail store for baseball merchandise and a space to host parties and events.

Visitors will be able to visit The 108 by using the new Brent Cross West station opening later this year which connects locations from Bedford to Brighton and will link with King’s Cross St Pancras in as little as 12 minutes.

Leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Barry Rawlings, said: “The 108 baseball facility will be a unique new addition to Barnet right next to our new Brent Cross West station which is due to open in the Autumn. It will give local residents the opportunity to try something new, and another reason for Londoners to visit the Borough of Fun!”

Baseball in Barnet

Currently around 20,000 people in the UK play baseball, but there are no year-round facilities. In Barnet, Baseball has been growing in popularity, with previous Brent Cross Town Community Fund winners Herts Baseball Club organising outdoor baseball games for the past few years.

However limited locations in the UK has been a major barrier for practice and coaching, which is why The 108 opening in our local area is a new milestone for not only the borough but for London too. Not only will it offer and improve the opportunities for locals and others to enjoy baseball and softball here at Brent Cross and Cricklewood too. The new opening will also boost the local economy through carefully managed visitor numbers.

Morwenna Hall, Partner at Related Argent, said: “It is fantastic to be welcoming The 108 to Brent Cross Town and an exciting first for London, the UK and for the local community.  The 108 is a great new amenity for the area, providing a fun and accessible way of getting involved in baseball, whether you’re experienced or a beginner. It also underpins our commitment to creating the place in London for play and sport offering a variety of different experiences and opportunities for the local community.”

The 108 founders, Michael Wakelam and Maxwell Trautman are also keen to ensure more children and young people are introduced to the sports by offering opportunities including free taster sessions for local schools.

The 108’s Michael Wakelam and Maxwell Trautman, said: “We’re tremendously excited to be able to bring The 108 to Brent Cross Town and Greater London. As passionate baseball fans our goal has always been to make baseball and softball more accessible to both those aiming to reach elite levels in the sport and those wanting to try these great sports for the first time. See you at The 108!”

Other activities in the local area

• Claremont Park:– Visit the award winning Claremont Park which is a popular neighbourhood park used by families, local residents and visitors who relax and socialise, play and enjoy nature in the park. Claremont Park also has a family-run ice cream kiosk, Gussy’s Ice Cream Parlour, serving delicious ice cream, hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and snacks. The park is open every day from 7am to 10pm.
• Exploratory Park:– Sitting close to Claremont Park is the Exploratory Park which has plenty of fun things to do, including a climbing pyramid, seesaw, swings, monkey bars, and a long, snaking yellow slide for kids to enjoy. There are also new table tennis tables which you can now use for free. More details here.

Brent Cross Town is the neighbourhood at the heart of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme, find out more on our webpages.

Find out more about skills, employment and funding opportunities at Brent Cross Town.