Leisure Centre in Gosport

Sports facilities and recreation in the borough

Gosport's main public leisure facility is the Holbrook Recreation Centre, located on Wych Lane in the Bridgemary area. It is operated by the council's leisure partner and provides the borough's primary indoor sports and fitness facilities.

The centre has a swimming pool, which is the main public pool for the borough. It is used for public swimming sessions, lane swimming, swimming lessons, and school swimming. The pool is not Olympic-sized, but it serves the community's needs for recreational and instructional swimming. There is a smaller learner pool for young children and beginners. Swimming lesson programmes run for children and adults, and these tend to be popular, with waiting lists at busy times of year.

The fitness suite has a range of gym equipment including cardio machines, free weights, and resistance machines. Membership packages are available on monthly and annual bases, and casual pay-as-you-go visits are also possible. The gym is reasonably well equipped for a council leisure centre, though it is smaller than the private gyms in the area such as PureGym in Fareham.

The sports hall is used for badminton, five-a-side football, basketball, and other indoor sports. Courts can be booked by individuals and groups. Local clubs use the hall for training and matches, and it is available for hire for children's parties and other events.

Exercise classes run throughout the week, including aerobics, yoga, Pilates, spinning, and circuits. The timetable changes seasonally and is available on the centre's website. Classes range from beginner to advanced levels and are a core part of the centre's offering.

Outside, the recreation ground adjacent to the centre has football pitches and open green space used by local teams and informal groups. The playing fields are important for junior football and Sunday league football in the borough.

For tennis, Gosport has courts at various locations including parks and recreation grounds. The courts at Stokes Bay and in Alverstoke are public courts that can be used on a pay-and-play or booking basis. Tennis has seen a boost in interest in recent years, and the courts can be busy during summer evenings and weekends.

Lee-on-the-Solent has the Lee-on-the-Solent Leisure Centre, which provides additional swimming and fitness facilities for the western part of the borough. Having a second centre in Lee reduces the need for Lee residents to travel into Gosport proper for a swim or a gym session.

The borough's leisure facilities have been the subject of periodic investment and debate. The condition of the Holbrook centre and the quality of the swimming pool have been raised by residents at various points. Renovation and potential replacement have been discussed, and the long-term future of the site depends on council priorities and funding.

For outdoor fitness, the waterfront, Stokes Bay, Alver Valley, and the various parks provide free options for running, cycling, and outdoor exercise. Several boot camp and outdoor fitness groups operate in the borough, using the seafront and park spaces.

School sports facilities are also used by community groups outside of school hours. Bay House School, in particular, has good sports facilities that are available for community hire in the evenings and at weekends.