A RURAL adventure facility which was last year closed due to financial difficulties will reopen under new ownership, the

Journal

can reveal.

The Mill Adventure Centre, in Hacche Mill near South Molton, was put into liquidation by Barclays Bank in December last year.

An outdoor-activity company, Rock and Rapid Adventure, has now beaten competition from three other bidders to buy the centre from the bank. Confirmation of the sale was given on Tuesday.

Keith Crockford, director of the company, said: "It has been a long process but our offer has finally been confirmed.

"We are now full steam ahead to get the centre up and running within six weeks. We are 99.9% sure the centre will reopen in this time."

Two other parties who entered a bid had indicated an interest in using the centre for property development, he said.

Mr Crockford also confirmed the centre, which will be renamed Rock and Rapid Adventure Centre, will largely run in the same manner as before, although more outdoor activities will be introduced.

The climbing wall within the centre will still be called "The Mill".

One of the Mill's former director Paul Russell said the sale of the centre was welcome news.

"A climbing fraternity has been established here in North Devon and the loss of the Mill was a massive blow for all those people," he said.

"All we have been asked since its closure is when it will reopen, especially from schools and other residential groups.

"We are really happy to see the Mill be rescued like this."

The closure of the centre, which happened just three years after its opening, led to six redundancies. Mr Crockford will now offer jobs back to former employees who have not since found employment.

The campaign to reopen the centre was widely supported by local councillors and MP for North Devon Nick Harvey.

Mayor of South Molton Cllr Stephen Lock said the Mill had done a great job in "putting South Molton on the map" and the town would continue to support the centre.