Furnace Fitness Shildon gym makes Echo’s top ten list
Furnace Fitness in Shildon may have only been up and running for a number of weeks but its having a big impact on more than a hundred members.
Offering everything from crossfit to hyrox and more, the team of six coaches operate a 24 hour gym suitable for those who like classes or simply want to train on their own.
The gym has now in line to be crowned the Echo’s top gym for 2026, and says the nomination is “outstanding” news.
Co-owner Gav Plews told The Northern Echo: “We’ve only been open since November 1. The team trained together previously and were looking for an opportunity to see what we could improve on compared to other gyms.
“The idea of Furnace Fitness was born about a year and a half before that. Then, we opened the door with about 90 members on the first day which was way above our expectations.
“We’re now at about 115 to 120 members. It’s going great.
“The founding principle, something we wanted is that it is a member’s first gym. We want the member’s experience to be the best it can be.”
As for what life at the gym has been like in that time, the 46-year-old said the community element and mixture of members has made the gym thrive.
He added: “The support has been absolutely phenomenal. The community that is there is a great mix of brand new members and people new to crossfit.
“It’s all coming together and it’s really great to see. We just want to continue that. The idea of being nominated after just a few months is absolutely outstanding.
“It shows the work we have put into Furnace Fitness, getting it open and what experience we are trying to build for the members.”
The full list of nominees to be crowned best gym can be found here.
To vote for your favourite gym, simply complete the form in The Northern Echo this week and return it to: The Northern Echo Best Gym 2026, Local IQ House, 1 Dalston Road, Carlisle, CA2 5NP, before February 4. Votes will be counted shortly after voting closes.