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Gyms in Southwark

From the riverside at Bankside to the playing fields of Dulwich, Southwark packs council pools, an 1891 velodrome and a dockside watersports centre into one borough. Here's where to train in Southwark and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
233
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Showing 1–24 of 233 gyms

Neighbourhoods in Southwark

From the docks of Rotherhithe to the playing fields of Dulwich.

Training in Southwark

Young, busy and fifth most active of London's boroughs.

Southwark is home to around 307,600 people (Census 2021), up 6.7% since 2011, with a median age of 33. Almost a quarter of residents, 23.8%, are aged 25 to 34. It's also one of London's most active boroughs: in Sport England's Active Lives survey for Nov 2024–25, 74.2% of adults did 150 minutes or more a week, fifth of London's 32 boroughs.

The council runs its own centres as Move Southwark: eight sites including The Castle Centre at Elephant and Castle, Peckham Pulse, Canada Water Leisure Centre with its eight-lane pool, and the Surrey Docks Fitness and Watersports Centre on Greenland Dock. In the south of the borough, Herne Hill Velodrome has been racing since 1891 and hosted the 1948 Olympic track cycling. Around them sit CrossFit boxes on Druid Street and Ewer Street, and boxing gyms from Ewer Street to Champion Hill.

With almost a quarter of residents in their late twenties and early thirties, a lot of people here are building a routine, and it's easier to keep up with the right company. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Southwark

The council's Move Southwark centres first, then the velodrome, the CrossFit boxes and the boxing gyms.

Move Southwark (council) centres

Velodrome and watersports

  • Herne Hill VelodromeHerne Hill · Track cycling since 1891, 1948 Olympic venue, taster and kids' sessions
  • Surrey Docks Fitness and Watersports CentreGreenland Dock · Kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, windsurfing, gym over the dock

CrossFit, strength and gyms

Boxing and martial arts

Find a training buddy in Southwark

A lane partner at Canada Water, someone to share a WOD in Bermondsey, a riding partner for the Herne Hill track: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Southwark training group

A Saturday crew for Burgess parkrun, a paddleboarding group on Greenland Dock, an after-work circuit in Peckham Rye Park: set it up in minutes and we'll help locals find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Southwark.

  • Burgess Park56 hectares, the borough's largest park, with tennis courts, football pitches, a Saturday parkrun and Peckham BMX Club.
  • Dulwich Park30.85 hectares, opened in 1890, with a boating lake, recumbent bike hire and a weekly parkrun.
  • Southwark Parkabout 63 acres, opened in 1869, with a running track, a boating lake and Southwark parkrun at 9am on Saturdays.
  • Peckham Rye Parkopened in 1894 beside the common, with a Japanese garden and a weekly parkrun.

Getting around

Tube, Overground, rail, river and bike routes to Southwark's gyms.

Tube

  • Jubilee line at London Bridge, Southwark, Bermondsey and Canada Water
  • Northern line at Borough, Elephant & Castle and London Bridge
  • Bakerloo line at Elephant & Castle

Overground

  • Windrush line at Canada Water, Surrey Quays, Rotherhithe, Queens Road Peckham, Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill

National Rail

  • London Bridge, Elephant & Castle, Peckham Rye, Queens Road Peckham, Denmark Hill, East Dulwich, North Dulwich, West Dulwich, Nunhead, South Bermondsey and Sydenham Hill

Cycle

  • Cycleway 4 and Cycleway 14 run from London Bridge through Bermondsey and Rotherhithe towards Greenwich
  • Cycleway 17 runs from Borough through Walworth and Burgess Park towards Dulwich Village
  • CS7 runs from Southwark Bridge through Elephant & Castle to Kennington

River

  • Thames Clippers call at Bankside, London Bridge City, Nelson Dock and Greenland piers

Who trains here

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

  • 23.8%Aged 25 to 34Almost a quarter of the borough, up from 23.6% in 2011.Census 2021
  • 33Median ageUp from 32 in 2011, still well below England's 40.Census 2021
  • 5thMost active of 32 boroughs74.2% of adults do 150+ minutes a week, against 66% across London.Sport England Active Lives, Nov 2024–25

Southwark gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Southwark?

Gymist lists 233 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across Southwark, from the Move Southwark centres to CrossFit boxes, boxing gyms, yoga studios and the sports grounds of Dulwich.

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

Southwark Council runs eight centres as Move Southwark: Canada Water Leisure Centre, Camberwell Leisure Centre, Dulwich Leisure Centre, Surrey Docks Fitness and Watersports Centre, Peckham Pulse, The Castle Centre, Southwark Park Sports and Athletics Centre and Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park.

Where can I swim in Southwark?

Canada Water Leisure Centre has a 25 m eight-lane pool and a teaching pool with a moveable floor. The Castle Centre has a 25 m six-lane pool, Peckham Pulse has a 25 m pool and a warm hydrotherapy pool, and Camberwell Leisure Centre has a 25 m pool and a teaching pool. Surrey Docks Watersports Centre on Greenland Dock lists open water swimming alongside kayaking and sailing.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Southwark?

Burgess Park, at 56 hectares the borough's largest park, has a Saturday parkrun, tennis courts and football pitches. Dulwich Park, Southwark Park and Peckham Rye Park all host weekly parkruns too, and Southwark Park has a boating lake.

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

The Jubilee line stops at London Bridge, Southwark, Bermondsey and Canada Water, and the Northern and Bakerloo lines meet at Elephant & Castle. The Overground's Windrush line serves Canada Water, Surrey Quays, Rotherhithe, Queens Road Peckham, Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill. Cycleways 4, 10 and 14 run east from London Bridge and Borough towards Deptford and Greenwich.

How do I find a gym buddy in Southwark?

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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