Skip to content
Sign in

Gyms in Rossendale

The upper Irwell valley, from Rawtenstall and Haslingden to Bacup and Whitworth, with a dry ski slope, a quarry full of bike trails and moor on every side. Here's where to train in Rossendale, and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
18
Join Gymist freeFind a training buddy

Showing 1–18 of 18 gyms

Towns in Rossendale

Bacup at the top of the valley, Whitworth on the road to Rochdale.

Training in Rossendale

An active valley with a pool at each end and moor in between.

Around 70,900 people live in Rossendale (Census 2021), up 4.2% since 2011, and the median age has risen from 40 to 42. It's an active borough: in Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, 69.0% of adults did at least 150 minutes of activity a week, above England's 64.6%.

Rossendale Leisure Trust, a not-for-profit, runs Marl Pits Leisure Centre in Rawtenstall, with a 25 m four-lane pool and a running track, the Adrenaline Centre in Haslingden, with a gym of more than 250 machines and two squash courts, Pioneer Gym in Bacup and The Hill, an outdoor ski and snowboard slope in Rawtenstall. Whitworth Leisure Centre, a community-run pool and gym, covers the south of the valley, and there's CrossFit, Muay Thai and a Metcon gym too.

Outside, Lee Quarry's free mountain bike trails sit above Bacup and the Irwell Sculpture Trail follows the valley down towards Bury. Moorland is easier with company. Gymist is how you find people to train with.

Where to train in Rossendale

Rossendale Leisure Trust's sites first, then the community pool, CrossFit and fight gyms.

Rossendale Leisure Trust

  • Marl Pits Leisure CentreRawtenstall · 25 m four-lane pool, small pool, gym with free weight zone and rig, running track
  • Adrenaline CentreHaslingden · 250+ machine gym, HIIT and spin studios, two squash courts, sports hall, Grip & Go climbing
  • Pioneer GymBacup · Gym, free weights room, spin studio, classes
  • The HillRawtenstall · Outdoor ski and snowboard slope, lessons and tubing

Community pool

CrossFit, strength and combat

Find a training buddy in Rossendale

A lane partner at Marl Pits, someone to share the WOD at CrossFit SMC, a riding partner for Lee Quarry: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Rossendale training group

A Saturday ride at Lee Quarry, a walk along the Irwell Sculpture Trail from Bacup, a ski group at The Hill: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Rossendale.

  • Lee Quarryfree mountain bike trails near Bacup and Stacksteads: a red route of about 7 km, a black route of about 1 km and pump tracks.
  • Irwell Sculpture Traila 30-mile footpath with 28 artworks, starting at Deerplay above Bacup and following the valley through Rawtenstall.
  • Healey Della local nature reserve since 1976 near Whitworth, with a railway viaduct 150 feet above the River Spodden.
  • Brown Wardle Hill400 m, between Whitworth and Wardle on the Lancashire border, a popular hang-gliding site.
  • Waugh's Wella popular walking spot on the moor above Edenfield and Cowpe.

Getting around

Bus and road routes through the valley.

Bus

  • route 464 from Accrington to Rochdale via Rawtenstall, run by Blackburn Bus Company
  • routes 481 and 483 from Blackburn and Burnley to Bury via Rawtenstall, run by Burnley Bus Company

Road

  • the M66 and the A56 link the valley to Manchester, Burnley and Blackburn

Rail

  • no mainline station: the East Lancashire Railway is a volunteer-run heritage line from Rawtenstall to Bury and Heywood, open every weekend

Who trains here

What the census and Sport England say about the people you'll meet in the valley.

  • 69.0%Adults active 150+ min a weekAbove England's 64.6% and the North West's 62.9%, with 20.7% doing less than 30 minutes a week.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25
  • 42Median ageUp from 40 in 2011, two years older than the North West as a whole.Census 2021
  • 21.6%Aged 50 to 64Up from 20.3% in 2011. Plenty of people at the age when a regular swim or ride partner makes the difference.Census 2021

Rossendale gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Rossendale?

Gymist lists 18 gyms, studios, pools and sports venues across Rossendale, from Whitworth Leisure Centre and Pioneer Gym to CrossFit in Rawtenstall and Muay Thai in Whitworth.

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

Rossendale Leisure Trust runs Marl Pits Leisure Centre on Newchurch Road in Rawtenstall, the Adrenaline Centre on Helmshore Road in Haslingden, Pioneer Gym on Park Road in Bacup and The Hill ski slope on Haslingden Old Road. Whitworth Leisure Centre on John Street is run by the community and opened in 2003, replacing the old Whitworth pool.

Where can I swim in Rossendale?

Marl Pits Leisure Centre in Rawtenstall has a 25 m by 9 m four-lane pool and a small pool. Whitworth Leisure Centre has a four-lane 25 m pool, with pay-as-you-go swimming, memberships and lessons for all ages.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Rossendale?

Lee Quarry, near Bacup and Stacksteads, has free mountain bike trails set up by Lancashire County Council: a red route of about 7 km and a black route of about 1 km, with pump tracks to practise on. The Irwell Sculpture Trail is a 30-mile footpath with 28 artworks, starting at Deerplay above Bacup, and Healey Dell near Whitworth is a local nature reserve.

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

Rossendale has no mainline railway station. Buses carry most journeys: route 464 runs from Accrington to Rochdale via Rawtenstall, and the 481 and 483 run from Blackburn and Burnley to Bury via Rawtenstall. The M66 and the A56 link the valley to Manchester, Burnley and Blackburn.

How do I find a gym buddy in Rossendale?

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.

Train in Rossendale? Join Gymist

Free to join. Save your gyms, share when you train, and connect with people from Haslingden to Bacup.

Join Gymist free

Nearby areas