UK Holiday Camps of the '60s and '70s Back
The National Federation of Permanent Holiday Camps was formed in the early 1930s as a trade organisation for the growing number of camps throughout Britain, Ireland and the Channel Isles. Only full board camps, or those which offered a full board option, were admitted. In the 1970s the organisation changed its name to the National Association of Holiday Centres. The number of camps fluctuated as different sites came and went. Some were closed whilst others were transformed into self catering caravan/chalet parks which excluded them from future membership. Some survived for several decades whilst others only lasted a year or two. They also ranged in size from anything between 75 and 11,000 campers. All the big companies were joined by a number of smaller operators and private family concerns. It's interesting to note that Butlins then attracted more people than all the other camps combined.
We had the idea of trying to compile a list of all the old camps but it soon became obvious that this was a major task way beyond our very limited time and resources. So we thought of narrowing it down to just show those camps which were still around in the 1960s and 70s - and even this was fraught with all kinds of complications and mysteries! We also followed the N.F.P.H.C. guidelines and only listed those camps which had full board facilities during that era. Where known we've also tried to discover which of them are still open today. Bear in mind that many of these camps have since changed dramatically and some have been converted into caravan parks without any trace of their past history.
So below is an incomplete (and maybe inaccurate) list showing most of the camps which were around in that era. We haven't included self catering camps or caravan parks and we accept no responsibility for any errors. We welcome additional information or corrections.
We've also added some image links to adverts from the 1960s - click on the camp name to access the image (where available).
|
County |
Camp |
Information |
Current Status |
|
Avon |
Sand Bay (Pontins) |
Bought by Pontins in 1947 |
Sold 1999 but still open |
|
Berkshire |
California-in-England
|
80 acres. Inland camp situated in a forest |
Closed. Some features still remain |
|
Cornwall |
Kenegie Holiday Hotel
|
15 acre hotel/chalet park |
Still open |
|
Cornwall |
Duporth Holiday Resort
|
Opened 1934 and set in 40 acres. |
Closed at the end of the 2006 season |
|
Cornwall |
Perran Sands Holiday Centre
|
|
Still open |
|
Cornwall |
Pleasure Haven Holiday Camp
|
Opened 1963 with capacity of 200 |
|
|
Devon |
Barton Hall (Pontins) |
48 acres. Bought by Pontins in late-50s. Sold 1999 |
Still open. Now a children's holiday activity centre |
|
Devon |
Buckleigh Place Country Club
|
Small camp with a capacity of just 75. |
Converted into a housing estate. |
|
Devon |
Devon Coast Country Club (Ladbrokes)
|
|
|
|
Devon |
Dolphin (Pontins) |
Suffered major fire in 1991 |
|
|
Devon |
NALGO Holiday Centre
|
Opened 1931 |
Still open. Now owned by UNISON |
|
Devon |
Paignton Holiday Camp
|
|
|
|
Devon |
St Marys Bay (Pontins) |
|
Still open |
|
Devon |
South Devon (Pontins) |
Bought by Pontins 1957 |
|
|
Devon |
Seaton (Warners) |
Opened in the 1930s |
Still open |
|
Devon |
Torbay Chalet Hotel
|
17 acres. Bought by Pontins late 60/early 70s. Sold again around 1995 |
Still open |
|
Devon |
Westward Ho! Holiday Camp
|
|
|
|
Dorset |
Chesil Beach Holiday Camp
|
|
Still open |
|
Dorset |
Osmington Bay (Pontins) |
Pre-war camp. Bought by Pontins in 1947. Sold 1999 |
Still open. Now a children's holiday activity centre |
|
Dorset |
Riviera (Pontins) |
Bought by Pontins late-50s |
Sold 1999 but still open |
|
Essex |
Clacton (Butlins) |
Opened 1938 |
Closed 1983 and since demolished |
|
Essex |
Dovercourt Bay (Warners) |
Pre-war camp located near the beach. |
Closed and demolished |
|
Hants |
Coronation (Warners) |
Renamed Lakeside in the mid-80s. |
Still owned & operated by Warners |
|
Hants |
Northney (Warners) |
First Warners camp. Opened 1931 |
Closed and demolished |
|
Hants |
Sinah Warren (Warners) |
Acquired by Warners in the early 60s |
Still owned & operated by Warners |
|
Hants |
Southleigh (Warners) |
|
Closed and demolished in the early 80s. |
|
Hants |
Sunshine (Fresh Fields)
|
Sold to Warners in 1980s but sold again in mid 90s. |
Still open but now called Mill Rythe |
|
Isle of Wight |
Bembridge Chalet Hotel
|
20 acres. Acquired by Warners late 60s/early 70s |
Still owned & operated by Warners |
|
Isle of Wight |
Atherfield Bay
|
Privately owned. 50 acres |
Still open |
|
Isle of Wight |
Brambles Chine
|
|
Still open |
|
Isle of Wight |
Brighstone Holiday Camp
(Campers Ltd) |
First camp on Isle of Wight. Opened 1932 |
Still open |
|
Isle of Wight |
Gurnard Pines Holiday Camp
|
55 acres |
Still open |
|
Isle of Wight |
Little Canada (Pontins) |
36 acres. Bought by Pontins late 1950s |
Still open. Now a children's holiday activity centre |
|
Isle of Wight |
Norton Chalet Hotel
|
20 acres. Acquired by Warners late 60s/early 70s |
Now named Norton Grange and still owned by Warners |
|
Isle of Wight |
Puckpool (Warners) |
Merged with adjoining St Clare camp late 80s & renamed Harcourt Sands. |
Sold by Warners and subsequently closed in September 2006 |
|
Isle of Wight |
St Clare (Warners) |
Merged with adjoining Puckpool camp late 80s & renamed Harcourt Sands. |
Sold by Warners and subsequently closed in September 2006 |
|
Isle of Wight |
Savoy Country Club
|
16 acres. Upmarket reputation |
Still open. Now owned by New Horizon Holidays |
|
Isle of Wight |
Totland Chalet Hotel
|
|
|
|
Isle of Wight |
Whitecliff Bay
|
Chalet hotel. 7 acres |
Still open |
|
Isle of Wight |
Woodside (Warners) |
30 acres. Opened 1963 |
Closed 1980s. Most buildings remain but derelict |
|
Isle of Wight |
Yarmouth (Warners) |
20 acres. Renamed Norton Grange mid-80s. |
Still owned & operated by Warners |
|
Kent |
Beach Holiday Centre
|
|
|
|
Kent |
Kingsdown Holiday Camp
(Campers Ltd) |
18 acres |
Still open |
|
Kent |
Leysdown Holiday Camp
|
12 acres |
|
|
Kent |
Littlestone
(Maddiesons) |
Opened 1930s |
Still open under new ownership |
|
Kent |
Minster Holiday Camp (Warners) |
Bought by Warners in the late 50s |
Sold 1983. Still open, now known as Irwin Park |
|
Kent |
Minster Beach Holiday Camp
|
|
|
|
Kent |
St Margarets
(Maddiesons) |
Opened 1963 |
Still open under new ownership |
|
Lancs |
Blackpool (Pontins) |
40 acres.Formerly named Squires Gate. Bought by Pontins in 1961 |
Still owned & operated by Pontins |
|
Lancs |
Middleton Tower (Pontins) |
60 acres with capacity of 3000. Opened 1939 & bought by Pontins c1964 |
Closed 1993 but most buildings remain semi derelict |
|
Lancs |
Morecambe Bay Holiday Camp
|
15 acres. Capacity for 500 people |
|
|
Lincs |
Skegness (Butlins)
|
Opened 1936. Capacity for 8,000 people |
Still owned and operated by Butlins |
|
Norfolk |
Caister Holiday Park
(Ladbrokes) |
Full & self catering |
Possibly now owned by Haven ?? |
|
Norfolk |
The Constitutional
|
Capacity 700 people |
|
|
Norfolk |
Gorleston Super Holiday Camp
|
Capacity 400 people |
|
|
Norfolk |
Golden Sands Holiday Camp
|
Opened around 1933. Privately owned |
Possibly closed around 1985?? |
|
Norfolk |
Hemsby Holiday Camp
(Maddiesons) |
Opened 1930s |
|
|
Norfolk |
Hopton Holiday Camp |
|
|
|
Norfolk |
Moodys Holiday Camp
|
Capacity 225 people |
|
|
Norfolk |
Mundesley Holiday Centre
(Campers Ltd) |
30 acres. Capacity for 400 people |
Still open. Now owned by New Horizon Holidays |
|
Norfolk |
Potters Holiday Camp
|
Opened on this site 1930. Privately owned |
Still open |
|
Norfolk |
Seacroft
|
30 acres. Opened 1920 bought by Pontins 1970s |
Sold by Pontins but still open. Now owned by New Horizon Holidays |
|
Somerset |
Minehead (Butlins)
|
Opened 1962. 160 acres. Capacity for 10,000 guests |
Still owned & operated by Butlins |
|
Somerset |
St Audries Bay
|
100 acres |
Still open |
|
Suffolk |
Corton Beach (Warners) |
30 acres |
Still owned & operated by Warners |
|
Suffolk |
Denes Holiday Camp
|
|
Still open |
|
Suffolk |
Gunton Hall
|
Acquired by Warners in the 1980s |
Still owned & operated by Warners |
|
Suffolk |
Kessingland Holiday Camp
(Catchpoles) |
Opened 1929 |
|
|
Suffolk |
Pakefield (Pontins) |
Bought by Pontins late-50s |
Still owned & operated by Pontins |
|
Suffolk |
Rogerson Hall |
Opened 1938 |
Still open but now a caravan park |
|
Sussex |
Bognor Regis (Butlins)
|
Opened 1960 |
Still owned & operated by Butlins |
|
Sussex |
Bracklesham Bay (Pontins) |
Opened 1947. Sold in the 1980s |
|
|
Sussex |
Bracklesham Bay (Gibsons)
|
|
|
|
Sussex |
Broadreeds (Pontins) |
Bought by Pontins in 1962 |
|
|
Sussex |
New Beach Holiday Camp
|
Opened 1925 |
|
|
Sussex |
Riviera Lido Holiday Club
|
|
|
|
Sussex |
St Leonards Bathing Pool Camp
|
Built around large seafront swimming pool |
Closed and demolished |
|
Sussex |
South Downs Chalet Hotel |
Formerly owned by Godfrey Davis. Bought by Pontins early 80s |
Sold by Pontins to New Horizon Holidays. Still open |
|
Sussex |
Sussex Coast Country Club (Ladbrokes)
|
See www.ukholidaycamps.co.uk which features a lot of information on this camp. |
|
|
Yorkshire |
Colley's Cosy Camp
|
Capacity 600 people |
|
|
Yorkshire |
Filey (Butlins)
|
Opened 1945. Capacity for 11,000 guests |
Closed 1983 and since demolished |
|
Yorkshire |
NALGO Holiday Centre
|
Opened 1930s. Sold 1976 |
|
|
Scotland |
Ayr (Butlins)
|
Opened 1946. 85 acres. Capacity for 5,000 guests |
Still open. Now a Haven caravan park (since 1999) |
|
Wales |
Pwllheli (Butlins)
|
Opened 1947. 150 acres. Capacity for 8,000 guests |
Still open. Now a Haven caravan park (since 1999) |
|
Wales |
Barry Island (Butlins)
|
Opened 1966. 45 acres. Sold By Butlins in 1986 |
Closed 1996 and now demolished |
|
Wales |
Prestatyn Holiday Camp (Tower Beach)
|
Opened 1939. 41 acres. Acquired by Pontins in the 70s |
Closed & demolished in the 80s. Land now used for housing |
|
Isle of Man |
Howstrake Holiday Camp
|
Pre-war camp |
|
|
Ireland |
Mosney (Butlins)
|
Opened 1948 but sold by Butlins in 1982 |
Still there but now in use as an asylum camp (since 2001) |
|
Ireland |
Red Island Holiday Camp
|
Situated on an island |
|
|
Jersey |
Plemont Bay (Pontins) |
Pre-war camp. Bought by Pontins in 1961 |
Closed 2000 but still standing semi derelict |
|
Jersey |
Portelet Bay
|
First opened 1925. Bought by Pontins in 1994 |
Closed 2000 but still standing semi derelict |