Cooke & Arkwright
News
Bold manoeuvre
22/07/08
A team from Cooke & Arkwright became the first to test the facilities at Boulders indoor climbing centre in St Catherine’s Park, Cardiff, in July. Now in the final stages of construction, the new 1,382 sq m premises opens its doors on the 30th August to provide the largest, combined bouldering and lead wall for rock climbing in the UK.
The Boulders centre boasts over 2,000 sq m of climbing surface and routes that soar up to 12m in height, built to represent different rock faces. The owners plan a variety of events ranging from novel children’s birthday parties and family fun sessions, through to serious personal fitness training, plus management and team building programmes.
Directors Rob Lawrence and Ollie Noakes first met in 2000 when training for an expedition to climb Mount Everest. Their enthusiasm for mountaineering inspired the concept and creation of Boulders Limited.
Managing Director, Rob Lawrence commented, “It’s fantastic to finally see our vision becoming a reality. It’s been a struggle to get this far but very soon we’ll be delivering a range of adventure activities and fitness opportunities that will see all types of people from climbing. St Catherine’s Park ended a long search to find the ideal premises. We have always considered Boulders to be a ‘must have’ for Cardiff and now looking forward to opening in late August. Our website has already generated significant interest. The increasing demand for extreme sports seems to be a backlash to the sedentary nature of modern life. Ollie and I recognised that people’s interest in sport, plus trends towards outdoor pursuits and healthier living, could be combined with our climbing expertise to deliver opportunities for individual and corporate events in this rapidly growing sector of the leisure market. Indoor climbing is great fun and actually burns more calories than jogging so will undoubtedly be a hit.”
Ollie Noakes added, “This building offered us the perfect opportunity to bring the very first facility of its kind to Cardiff. In partnership with My Peak Potential, Boulders have developed a highly effective, one-day Leadership Training and Team Development programme which specialises in people performance, learning, communication and change. Using the Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre, as the vehicle for learning, we will deliver a powerful programme that helps organisations unlock the potential of its people and maximise their performance.”
Jeremy Symons of Cooke & Arkwright, who advised the landlord Cheshire County Council said, “This is an exceptional deal which brings occupation on the park to 98%. Our team was happy to test this very exciting and original use of the building.”
Boulders Climbing Limited was advised by agents Chris Clarke Surveyors and joins other occupiers at the park including Bree Disco, Plumbase and Somersault.
The 45,000 sq ft complex at St Catherine’s’ Park is owned by Cheshire County Council’s pension fund, which is managed by Rockspring Property Investment Managers. Cooke & Arkwright advised on the original acquisition of the estate and its subsequent refurbishment and letting.
Pictured: Simon Higgins (top) and Jeremy Symons of Cooke & Arkwright try out the ‘wall’.