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Gyms in Lewisham

A borough without a Tube line that still gets everywhere by DLR and Overground, with a Victorian pool in Forest Hill and a swimming lake in Beckenham Place Park. Here's where to train in Lewisham and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
61
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Showing 1–24 of 61 gyms

Neighbourhoods in Lewisham

From the arches of Deptford to the parks of Sydenham.

Training in Lewisham

Five Better sites, a Victorian pool and a lake you can swim in.

Lewisham is home to around 300,600 people (Census 2021), up 8.9% since 2011, with a median age of 35. The borough is getting a little older: 17.3% of residents are now aged 50 to 64, up from 13.4% in 2011, while 24.0% are 35 to 49. In Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, Lewisham ranked tenth of London's 32 boroughs for adults doing 150 minutes or more a week.

Better runs five public sites here: Glass Mill Leisure Centre by Lewisham station, Forest Hill Pools, part of the community since 1885, Wavelengths in Deptford, Bellingham Leisure and Lifestyle Centre and The Alex Yee Ladywell Arena, the floodlit track renamed in 2024 for the Olympic champion who trained there. Downham Health and Leisure Centre adds a 25 m pool in the south. Deptford has CrossFit, strongman and boxing gyms, and Beckenham Place Park has had a swimming lake since 2019.

Whether you swim at Forest Hill or lift in Deptford, it's easier to keep going with the right company. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Lewisham

The public centres first, then the CrossFit boxes, strength gyms and boxing clubs.

Public leisure centres

CrossFit and strength

Boxing and martial arts

Chain gyms and health clubs

Find a training buddy in Lewisham

A lane partner at Forest Hill Pools, someone to lift with in Deptford, a running partner for the Ladywell track: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Lewisham training group

A Saturday crew for Hilly Fields parkrun, a summer swim group at Beckenham Place Park, an evening ride down the Waterlink Way: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Lewisham.

  • Beckenham Place Park96 hectares, Lewisham's largest green space, with a swimming lake and BMX track added in 2019.
  • Hilly Fieldsa Saturday 5k parkrun and Sunday junior parkrun, three tennis courts, a basketball court and a summit 175 feet up.
  • Ladywell Fields22 hectares along the River Ravensbourne, with ball courts, a skate park and the Waterlink Way running through.
  • Blackheathabout 85 hectares of common land shared with Greenwich, and the start of the London Marathon.

Getting around

DLR, Overground, rail and bike routes to Lewisham's gyms.

DLR

  • Lewisham, the end of the southern branch
  • Deptford Bridge and Elverson Road on the Greenwich border

Overground

  • Windrush line at New Cross, New Cross Gate, Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill and Sydenham

National Rail

  • 20 stations, including Lewisham, Catford, Catford Bridge, Ladywell, Hither Green, Lee, Blackheath, Deptford and Forest Hill
  • there are no Tube stations in the borough

Cycle

  • Cycleway 4 runs through Deptford towards Greenwich
  • Cycleway 18 runs from Deptford Bridge through Ladywell and Catford to Lower Sydenham
  • Cycleway 66 links Brockley and Forest Hill

Who trains here

What the census and Sport England say about the people you'll meet in the pool, at the rack and on the track.

  • 35Median ageUp from 33 in 2011, with 24.0% of residents aged 35 to 49.Census 2021
  • 17.3%Aged 50 to 64Up from 13.4% in 2011. Plenty of people at the age when a regular swim or class partner makes the difference.Census 2021
  • 10thMost active of 32 boroughsJust under seven in ten adults do 150+ minutes of activity a week.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25

Lewisham gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Lewisham?

Gymist lists 61 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across Lewisham, from the Better centres and Downham's pool to CrossFit boxes, boxing gyms and yoga studios.

Which leisure centres are in Lewisham, and who runs them?

Better runs five sites in Lewisham: Glass Mill Leisure Centre on Loampit Vale, Forest Hill Pools on Dartmouth Road, Wavelengths Leisure Centre on Giffin Street in Deptford, Bellingham Leisure and Lifestyle Centre on Randlesdown Road and The Alex Yee Ladywell Arena on Silvermere Road. Downham Health and Leisure Centre on Moorside Road has a 25 m pool, a 10 m learner pool and a 100+ station gym.

Where can I swim in Lewisham?

Forest Hill Pools has a six-lane 25 m pool and a learner pool. Glass Mill has a 25 m pool and a teaching pool, Wavelengths has a 25 m pool, a teaching pool and a leisure pool, and Downham has a 25 m pool and a 10 m learner pool. Beckenham Place Park has a swimming lake, opened in 2019.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Lewisham?

Hilly Fields hosts a free 5k parkrun on Saturday mornings and has three tennis courts, a basketball court and a football pitch. Beckenham Place Park, the borough's largest green space at 96 hectares, has a BMX track, and Ladywell Fields follows the River Ravensbourne on the Waterlink Way.

How do I get to gyms in Lewisham without a car?

There is no Tube in the borough, but the DLR runs to Deptford Bridge, Elverson Road and Lewisham, and the Overground's Windrush line stops at New Cross, New Cross Gate, Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill and Sydenham. Cycleway 18 runs from Deptford Bridge through Ladywell and Catford to Lower Sydenham.

How do I find a gym buddy in Lewisham?

Join Gymist free, add your gym and when you train, and browse members nearby. If there isn't a group for your kind of training yet, start one.

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