Women-only fitness hub to re-open in Shepton Mallet

By Laura Linham 3rd Aug 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 3 hours ago

A women-only fitness community created following the closure of Shepton Mallet Leisure Centre is returning to the town with its first permanent home.

Iron Ladies will open a fitness hub on the Anglo Trading Estate after spending three years searching for suitable premises.

Local fitness coach Alice Owen founded the community while she was working as a primary school sports coach and studying for a sports science degree.

Alice established the group after the leisure centre closed and women who had exercised there were left without a place to train together.

What began as a small group has since grown into a wider fitness community for women of different ages, abilities and experience levels.

The new ground-floor hub has been chosen partly to improve access for women with disabilities and mobility difficulties.

Mothers will be able to bring their children to some sessions, while family fitness sessions will be available for women who may otherwise struggle to exercise because of childcare.

The new facility will include:

A women-only gym
A spinning studio
Spin circuit classes
Strength and conditioning sessions
Personal training
A female-only HYROX-affiliated training club

Founder Alice Owen said: "Iron Ladies has never just been about fitness. It was created to give women a place where they feel welcomed, supported and empowered, regardless of their age, ability or experience.

"I started Iron Ladies while working as a primary school sports coach and studying for my Sports Science degree. When the leisure centre closed, I saw how many women had lost more than just a gym—they had lost a community. That inspired me to create a space where women could train without judgement, build confidence and support one another.

"Over the last three years we've watched women transform their lives, not just physically, but mentally too. We've seen friendships formed, confidence grow and women achieve things they never thought possible.

"Opening our permanent home in Shepton Mallet is a dream come true. It means we can support even more women, remove barriers such as childcare through our family sessions, provide a more accessible ground-floor facility, and continue building a community where every woman feels she belongs."

An open day will be held on Saturday, 3 October, from 9 am until 2 pm.

Visitors will be able to tour the new facility, meet the Iron Ladies team and find out about the gym's classes and training sessions.