A TRADITIONAL outdoor clothing and equipment store in the heart of the Northumberland countryside is opening up its doors to a new generation of customers with the launch of e-commerce site, Otterburn Life.

Otterburn Mill was a thriving woollen mill in the 18th Century when it was run by the Waddell family of Jedburgh.

After going into decline, the mill was bought in 1995 by a member of yet another famous family of Scottish woollen manufacturers, Euan Pringle.

The site been redeveloped and now boasts a spacious shop situated inside the original weaving sheds where visitors can view some of the mill's machinery.

Now, Otterburn Mill, which also has stores in Rothbury and Scorton in North Yorkshire has moved into the 21st Century with its online retail website – www.otterburnlife.com  – being optimised with new technology.

Nigel Owen, operations director of Otterburn Mill, said: “Year on year we have 150,000 customers through the doors of the store.

“We may be based in Northumberland, but we have a strong offer that we know competes with anything else in the UK.

“ We have a good range of lines, with major outdoor brands and traditional classics, at great prices, and this site means we can service customers across the UK, and overseas.

“The mill is steeped in history and tradition, but we understand that website technology changes regularly and by developing and investing in the site we want to be able to give our customers the best possible shopping experience.”