YOU might have skied abroad, perhaps the upon the Scottish Highlands, but a Dragons' Den legend has brought poles and skis to Wiltshire.

Nick Jenkins, Moonpig founder, former BBC Dragon has founded a ski club at Bapton Manor Farm, near the junction of the A36 and the A303, between Warminster and Salisbury.

The newly-formed South Wilts Ski Club operates an infinity ski slope in an old barn converted into a ski chalet.

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Nick said: "If you keep it going at full speed for an hour, it is the equivalent of skiing from the top of [Mount] Everest to sea-level, in a oner!

“We do have a challenge, by the way, of £1,000 for anyone who can do that!”

The former dragon was inspired to build the slope and ski club from the ground up by his daughter, who he wanted to help ski between ski seasons.

South Wilts Ski Club hopes to offer enthusiasts of all ages and skill-levels the chance to master their skiing technique (Image: Stephanie Briggs) Read more: Cricketing stalwarts rewarded by South Wilts Cricket Club

Nick said: "I realised that we have a great slope at Milton Keynes, but that’s a four-hour-round-trip, which is quite a long way with a seven-year-old.

“They get quite busy. They’re ten-seconds down and its five minutes back up and that wasn’t going to work either.”

The businessman encountered the concept of an infinity ski slope on a trip to Chelski, a company who run a slope in London.

An infinity ski slope is a continuous rolling surface, which can be adjusted from 13 to 22 degrees with speeds ranging from 0 to 19mph, making it usable for absolute beginners as well as advanced skiers.

The former BBC Dragon said: "So I took the lease and it’s a mile down the road from where I live. It took about a year to get planning permission, to convert it and to change the building and here we are!”

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He continued: "I think it probably cost about £300,000 to set it all up, so it wasn’t a fortune.

"The great thing about this, compared with either an outdoor ski slope, or a proper snow slope, is that those cost quite a lot of money to set up."

With more than 100 of these slopes in operation in the Netherlands, Nick believes the concept can become a hit in the UK.

Nick added: "If we can make this work in a rural area in Wiltshire, then there will probably be 50 or 60 rural areas where it would also work around Britain.”

Although far cheaper than a skiing holiday, the slope is not as affordable as the company suggests, costing £100 for a peak session, which runs for half an hour with an instructor.

The off-peak price does fall markedly, however and there are steep discounts for those who book repeat session and share the cost with a friend.