A man hopes to save an adventure base in Nottingham by restoring the site back to its former glory. For decades the Arches Adventure Base under Lady Bay Bridge, Nottingham, has been used for adventure sports and could now be restored for bouldering, kayaking and paddle boarding.
The West Bridgford based company, Mock Rock, has taken over a five-year lease for the arches in addition to a building and yard tucked away underneath the bridge. Director, Ben Hunter, says the company hopes to restore the site and open facilities there next year.
Ben has been installing climbing walls for more than 20 years and works with a group of rock sculptors, artists and carpenters. He hopes to create a vibrant space under the bridges similar to what has been done at the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
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To help transform the historic site, Ben has set up an online fundraiser to help raise the necessary funds to turn the location into a realistic rock outdoor climbing centre and cultural venue on both sides of the river for the city. He also hopes to partner with schools and scout groups once the transformation is complete, and will be giving free access to people referred to them by local charities.
Ben explained that since starting the project, he has learnt a lot more about the site's history and has been contacted by dozens of people that used to go there. He said: "Everyone that used to visit the Arches Adventure Centre has contacted me and said I used to do kayaking there, I used to do climbing there, I got my climbing award there, I used to swing off the bridge there.
"It's more of a save the Arches Adventure Base now rather than just let's build a bouldering park, as that's really what we are doing. The site has not been used for about 10 years and unless someone does something it will stay that way."
Ben launched an online fundraiser on Thursday, October 14, and has already raised more than £4,100 of the £50,000 target. He said: "It's a really good start, especially in the current climate."
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