VIP guests get first look at Shrewsbury's new Climbing The Walls - with video

About 250 VIP guests were to get a first look today at Shrewsbury's new Climbing The Walls centre, set to open next week in Battlefield – but ahead of the doors opening here is a sneak preview as the final touches were put in place.

Watch the video here:

Director Andrew Donaldson, who has overseen the whole building from scratch, said it had come together quickly.

"This building was empty three months ago and 12 months ago it was just the former cattle market site – we broke the ground in January last year," he said.

"I've started businesses before but it's my first ever new build."

He said the building had been put up by his own contracting company, and much of the space was rented out via another company, Rent-a-Space, of which he was also director, from September onwards.

One thing his own firms didn't make, however, were the climbing walls themselves, which were made to spec by Bulgarian firm Walltopia.

First seen on entering are the huge, overhanging "tall walls", designed for experienced climbers only.

To the rear is an area for "bouldering" with crash mats below, which non-experienced climbers can simply come in and have a go at, without ropes.

But most eye-catching are the "actions walls" area with a whole range of specially-designed novelty walls with names such as Deep Space, The Castle, Labyrinth, Gear Head and Need For Speed.

Mr Donaldson said: "This could host hen parties, stag parties, corporate team building, birthday parties – or anyone from age five to 80."

All the action walls have automatic ropes fitted so anyone can be climbing on them after 10 minutes of instruction – and they each have special challenges, such as racing against a rising glowing graphic of a lava stream on Volcano, or striding across ascending columns on the dizzying Skyscraper.

Across and upstairs, overlooking the rest of the complex, a cafe has been installed, complete with plush leather couches, modelled on another of Donaldson's businesses, Mickey's Boatyard and Beach Cafe in Abersoch.

He said it would be quite a spectacle from the mezzanine cafe. "I think some people won't be able to stand sitting here, this will be sensory overload as there will be so much going on," he said.

He said indoor climbing was set to become an Olympic sport in 2020, so it was a timely business venture.

"It's our belief that that this is the future of climbing and it's in Shrewsbury," he said. "We're creating a healthy, fun, family environment – and we'll be creating a whole new breed of climbers here."

The centre will open to the public on Wednesday at 10am and the website climbingthewalls.club was set to go live today.