Gyms in King’s Lynn, ranked on the evidence

Twenty gyms and leisure venues sit inside 13km of the town centre. Two are budget chains open around the clock: The Gym Group on Campbells Meadow and Snap Fitness at St Nicholas Retail Park. One operator, Alive West Norfolk, runs the council side with four centres, three pools, four gyms and more than 100 classes a week. Almost everything else is independent, and most of it is in a unit on an industrial estate.

For a town of 47,610 people that is a decent spread. It has gaps too. Nothing in this register is a racquets and spa health club. Not one listing publishes an equipment inventory. And outside the two chains and the council, nobody publishes a price at all.

The register also covers the five places Google lists as open 24 hours, the pools, the boxing and martial arts rooms, the class timetables and 27 personal trainers.

Three clusters, and choosing between them is really a choice about parking and your commute.

• Hardwick and Campbells Meadow, off the A47 roundabout: The Gym Group, Valeo Athletic and Aerial Fitness on Paxman Road, Maximum Results on Campbells Business Park, Rebel 24 at St Hilary Trade Park. Free retail park parking, and Campbells Meadow is about nine minutes on foot from the railway station.
• North Lynn and the port side, across Bergen Way, Hamburg Way, Bryggen Road, Hansa Court and Nelson Business Park: Heros, Everlast, Just4You Fitness, Motiv8, Studio 19, KOVA Pilates and Kuk Sool Won. Industrial units, easy parking, dead quiet at night.
• The town centre, around St James Court, Austin Street, Blackfriars Street and White Lion Court: Sorority, The Fitness Studios, The Den Fight Centre, Anura Wellness and St James Pool. Walkable from the Vancouver Quarter, awkward to park near.

Greenpark Avenue sits on its own. Alive Lynnsport is there, with the athletics track, climbing wall, bowls rinks and the KASET skatepark attached to the gym floor.

• The notice period. Snap asks for 30 days. Nobody else publishes one.
• The joining fee. £15 at The Gym Group and at Snap, £20 start up at Alive. The saver plans at The Gym Group drop it.
• What off peak means. At The Gym Group it runs 00:00 to 16:00 and 20:00 to midnight on weekdays, and all day at weekends. If you train at 18:00, the off peak price is not your price. If you finish a night shift at 06:00, it is.
• Staffed hours against access hours. Snap is open 24 hours and staffed Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 20:00, Friday to 18:00, Saturday 10:00 to 14:00, and not at all on Sunday.
• Go at the hour you would actually train. A 06:00 gym and an 18:00 gym are different buildings.

Start with the ranked list above, pick three, then go and look at all three. The case for each of the top five is here.