Tucked away behind the museum in Radstock is a quite extraordinary place.

Pure Fitness Gym is exactly that - but what it also manages is a legacy which has seen a huge number of body building champions work out within its spaces.

Owner Dave Campbell has run it for eight years and is rightly proud that among the ranks (alongside his own body building wins) there are five or perhaps six British Body Building or Figure champions, and one former European Champion. All of them trained and some still training right here in Radstock.

Photos of the body builders and their trophies are lined up along the walls of the gym to inspire the next generation.

Pure Fitness is without equal, and is arguably one of the best-equipped body building gym in the South West. Behind a modest entrance it has a huge array of equipment; the equivalent of five machines for each part of a body-building programme.

Having just re-opened after lockdown Dave took Nub News on a tour of a building which is tardis-like, hiding a mass of specialist equipment and room after room of training weights right through to the back where the 'big lifters' come.

So how big is it to lift a big weight ?

" It depends on how strong they are, " jokes Dave. " But we are talking about 300 plus kilo."

Dave told Nub News that re-opening after the coronavirus lockdown had been: " Slow and steady. We are adapting to the new normal. "

In terms of the safety of customers: " We have posters all around the gym reminding them how the new guidelines. They take a bottle individually as they go in to clean and wipe their stations. To take around. Every piece of equipment is wiped down before and after every use.

" As you enter the gym you sanitise your hands and then everyone is temperature checked. Only once you get the check and green to go can you go in.

" There is a one way traffic system going. We have moved machines around a bit to keep the distancing rules. We have had to take two treadmills out. "

The Gym has a membership system, but can also accommodate single training sessions on a pay as you go, which might be even more important if in the autumn, regulars are under pressure.

" Not everyone will come back, " admits Dave. " Some of them will come back, some might have lost their jobs so that they can't come back, some people might have underlying health issues... we just don't know."

Dave, who also offers personal training, is rightly proud of his exercise empire, which spans several rooms and includes a tanning space.

He explained: " Our weight lifting equipment is either for building body shape or for toning whatever you want, then we have cardio apparatus. And equipment for diet and losing weight. The big campaign now is get fit. So if you need to improve your fitness, please come and do it here with us."

The Gym is open 6am until 9pm every week day, and then Saturday and Sunday from 8am until 4pm,

Dave who has been in the industry since he was 17 years old and is himself a former champion, and returned to competition a few years ago, is keen to encourage business. " Come here to train - we know how to help and inspire you. Or if you just want to get fit we can help you with that too. Come back and support your local business."

You can book a session and find out more by clicking HERE: