ONE of Brighouse’s landmark buildings has gone to the wall – 14 years after it shut down.

The derelict former Thomas Sugden and Son flour mill has been reinvented as a state-of-the-art climbing facility.

Business partners and climbing enthusiasts Euan Noble, from Lindley, and Leigh Topping, of Mytholmroyd, have already ploughed about £300,000 into the project, called ROKT.

They expect to spend another £200,000 on further improvements – including what they hope will be the country’s biggest indoor climbing wall in one of the mill’s giant silos.

Leigh said: “The unique selling point is the building. It’s fit for purpose and a lot of people are talking about the silos – there’s nothing else quite like it in the country.

“The hardware was already there – the steel supports are massive. We have just worked with what we had and shaped the climbing walls around what was there.”

Thomas Sugden founded the works, off Mill Royd Street, in 1829. The original mill burnt down in 1895 and a replacement was built the following year.

The first silo was built in 1959 and the second in 1963.

After its closure in 1997, the site was at the centre of a decade-long planning wrangle.

Its owner Younger Homes had wanted to demolish it and redevelop the site but was denied permission.

Euan and Leigh first looked at the building 18 months ago, before being given planning permission at the end of last year.

Leigh said: “It took tonnes of research, but this was the building we always wanted.

“It ticks all the boxes – it’s a unique location, with easy access and a big catchment area.

“Everybody knows it, it’s the biggest building in Brighouse.”

The facilities already include a boulder competition wall, a children’s climbing area, a boulder field room, a masterclass gym and a climbing chamber with a ‘stalactite’ fixture.

The silos are also being converted, with one set to contain a 90ft wall that will be among the biggest in the country.

Leigh said: “Typically, climbing walls are in one big room. Here you have this really nice warren of rooms with interesting corners in every section.

“But we have only really scratched the surface.”

Emergency services have enquired about using the facility for training exercises and fitness work and kayaking groups also want to use it as a base.

The centre currently has six full-time staff and eight freelance instructors

Euan said: “We wrote a credo about how we wanted this business to be – while it has to make money, it’s also about developing something that’s better than anything else and something that people can contribute to. We’re open to suggestions.”

An official opening event takes place on Saturday.