Derelict Exeter gym replaced by state of the art climbing centre

It is a large site near the city centre

A former Exeter gym is being transformed into a new bouldering centre just a short distance from the city centre. It's a new venture for the owners of popular facility near the Quay.

A sign has gone up outside an empty premises on Tudor Street, just off Bonhay Road advertising a 'state of the art' bouldering centre which will be known as Boulder Exe. The site was previously a Fitness First gym until it closed in August 2023.

At the time, Fitness First said the huge gym had seen a downturn in the number of people coming through the doors following the pandemic. They said it was no longer "commercially viable" to keep the facility open.

In a statement, the chain said: "Following the devastating impact the Covid-19 lockdowns had on our Exeter club, we have fewer members using the facility and it is no longer commercially viable to continue operating it. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to close the club at the end of August."

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Ever since the closure, the building has sat empty, with the homeless appearing to use the doorway as a place to sleep on various occasions. A sign then went up to advertise the space to potential new occupiers.

On September 10, The Quay Climbing Centre celebrated their 13th anniversary by announcing they were opening a new bouldering centre in Exeter. In an Instagram post, they said: "To celebrate 13 lucky years here at the Quay, we are excited to officially announce that later this year we will be opening a brand new boulder centre in Exeter. While we can't share all the details yet, keep an eye on our socials and the @boulder_exe page for updates".

Two days later, a post on the Boulder Exe Instagram page confirmed that they would be taking over the former gym on Tudor Street. The page has gone on to tease more details of the new centre, saying that it "feature several internationally renowned standardised training boards".

They said the first would be a Tension Board 2, which has a mix of wooden and dual texture holds. Another of the boards will be a Titan wall, featured at various international competitions, including the Paris 2024 Olympics.

A precise opening date is yet to be announced but Boulder Exe has said on social media and in the sign on the premises that it plans to open this year. Boulder Exe has been contacted for more information.