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Gyms in South Hams

Four leisure centres with pools, in Ivybridge, Totnes, Kingsbridge and Dartmouth, between southern Dartmoor and the estuaries of the South Devon coast. Here's where to train in South Hams and who to train with.

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Training in South Hams

A pool in each of four towns, with moor and coast path between them.

South Hams had around 88,600 people at the 2021 Census, up 6.6% since 2011, and with a median age of 51 it shares the South West's highest with Dorset, Torridge and West Devon. In Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, 68.2% of adults here did at least 150 minutes of activity a week, against 64.6% for England.

The district council's four leisure centres all have a 25 m pool and a gym, and are run on its behalf by Active Communities Together: Ivybridge Leisure Centre, with a 90-station gym, Quayside Leisure Centre in Kingsbridge, Totnes Leisure Centre and Dartmouth Leisure Centre. Unit 8 Gym in Ivybridge is the independent option.

Then there's the coast: the South Devon National Landscape takes in 97 km of the South West Coast Path, and the Two Moors Way starts in Ivybridge. Towns here are spread out, so finding someone who trains when you do can take some looking. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in South Hams

The council's leisure centres first, then independent gyms and clubs.

Public leisure centres

Independent gyms and clubs

Find a training buddy in South Hams

A lane partner at Quayside in Kingsbridge, someone to lift with at Unit 8 in Ivybridge, a walking partner for the first miles of the Two Moors Way: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a South Hams training group

A coast path running group out of Salcombe, a weekend walk on the Two Moors Way from Ivybridge, a swim group at Dartmouth Leisure Centre: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in South Hams.

  • South Devon National Landscape337 km² of coast and estuary, designated in 1960, from Salcombe on the Kingsbridge Estuary to Dartmouth on the Dart.
  • South West Coast Path97 km of it runs through South Hams, past 10 km of cliffs at Bolt Head and Prawle Point, Devon's southernmost point.
  • Two Moors Way102 miles from Ivybridge across Dartmoor and Mid Devon to Lynmouth, or just over 116 miles coast to coast via the Erme–Plym Trail from Wembury.
  • Southern Dartmoorthe north of the district is inside Dartmoor National Park, and Ivybridge sits on its southern boundary.

Getting around

Rail and bus links to South Hams' gyms.

Rail

  • Totnes station, on the Exeter to Plymouth line, has Great Western Railway trains roughly hourly to London Paddington and CrossCountry trains to Bristol Temple Meads and Birmingham New Street
  • Ivybridge station has Great Western Railway services, about 15 minutes to Plymouth and 50 minutes to Exeter

Bus

  • Stagecoach South West and Country Bus connect Totnes station with the town centre, Newton Abbot, Plymouth and Dartmouth

Walk

  • the Two Moors Way and the Erme–Plym Trail both pass through Ivybridge

Who trains here

What the census and the activity survey say about the people you'll meet in the pool and on the coast path.

  • 51Median ageUp from 48 in 2011, joint highest in the South West and 11 years above England's 40. Plenty of people looking for a regular swim or walking partner.Census 2021
  • 68.2%Adults active 150+ min a weekAbove England's 64.6%, with 20.5% doing less than 30 minutes a week.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25
  • 28.5%Growth in people aged 65 to 74Just under 3,000 more since 2011, while the number aged 35 to 49 fell by 12.0%.Census 2021

South Hams gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in South Hams?

Gymist lists 8 gyms, leisure centres, studios and sports clubs in South Hams so far. The district's four public leisure centres are listed below, including three not yet on Gymist.

Which leisure centres are in South Hams, and who runs them?

There are four, run by Active Communities Together as an agent of South Hams District Council. Ivybridge, Quayside and Totnes passed from Fusion Lifestyle to Parkwood Leisure in 2026. Ivybridge Leisure Centre has 25 m and 15 m pools and a 90-station gym. Quayside Leisure Centre in Kingsbridge has a 25 m pool, a learner pool, a 60-station gym, a cycle studio and a six-court hall. Totnes Leisure Centre has a 25 m pool, a 49-station gym and a sports hall, and Dartmouth Leisure Centre a 25 m pool, a 10.5 m pool and a 42-station gym.

Where can I swim in South Hams?

All four leisure centres have a 25 m pool: Ivybridge (with a 15 m pool), Quayside in Kingsbridge (with a learner pool), Totnes, and Dartmouth (with a 10.5 m pool). Each runs swimming lessons for babies, children and adults with Swim England.

Where can I train outdoors for free in South Hams?

The South Devon National Landscape covers 337 km² of coast and estuary, including 97 km of the South West Coast Path, the cliffs at Bolt Head and Prawle Point, Devon's southernmost point. The Two Moors Way runs 102 miles from Ivybridge, on the southern edge of Dartmoor, to Lynmouth on Exmoor, and the Erme–Plym Trail links it to the coast at Wembury.

How do I get to gyms in South Hams without a car?

Totnes and Ivybridge are on the Exeter to Plymouth line. Great Western Railway runs roughly hourly from Totnes to London Paddington, and CrossCountry trains go north to Bristol and Birmingham. From Ivybridge, Plymouth is about 15 minutes away and Exeter about 50. Stagecoach South West and Country Bus link Totnes station with Newton Abbot, Plymouth and Dartmouth.

How do I find a gym buddy in South Hams?

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

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