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Skegness Over the Years Back

Any additional information or corrections will be most welcome

Building or attraction name

Original features

Changes over the years

Changes during the Funcoast World rebuild

Changes during the 1998/99 rebuild

Changes since 1999

Lincoln
(built 1930s)
Formerly named Connaught

Dining halls, Playhouse Theatre, table tennis & ironing rooms

Grosvenor Restaurant & launderette added

??

Demolished (??)

n/a

Windsor
(built 1930s)

Windsor & York dining halls

no major changes

Demolished

n/a

n/a

Tower
(built 1930s)

Coffee lounge, shops, laundrette, post office & amusement arcade

no major changes

Transformed into Cocunut Willies Bar and then into Moonshiners Family Bar

Rebuilt into Tom Cobleigh pub and then into the Sun & Moon pub

Sun & Moon refurbished in early 2008

Reception
(built 1930s)Formerly named York

Tudor Lounge bar, reception, mail office and bingo

Destroyed by fire 1974. Land became sports field until 1984 when new outdoor funpool built

Outdoor fun pool still there

Outdoor fun pool still there

Outdoor fun pool still there

Princes
(original built 1930s - replaced with new building 1960s)

Old time dancing, photographic studio, Princes cafe & ballroom

Original building demolished 1963/64 and replaced by new 2-storey structure housing the Beachcomber bar, Princes bar and ballroom. This burnt down in 1974 and the land became a sports field

New indoor funpool built on the site in 1987

Indoor fun pool still there

Indoor fun pool still there

Regency
(built 1930s)
Formerly named Gloucester

Gloucester dining hall and shops. Later also housed the Kent dining halls

Name changed to Regency Building with ballroom, coffee lounge, bar, amusement arcade & cigarette/sweet shop

Transformed into Bourbon Street Bar with food court & coffee shop

Transformed into Hotshots Entertainment Centre with Jokers shop, bowling and amusement arcade. Now joined to Skyline Pavilion

no major changes

Empress
(built 1930s)

Ballroom, Empress bar and cafe, amusement arcade and shops

No major changes

Transformed into Showboat Club and amusement arcade

Transformed into Centre Stage Theatre. Now joined to Skyline Pavilion

no major changes

Queens
(original built 1930s  - replaced with new building 1960s)
Formerly named Kent

Kent dining hall, Pig & Whistle bar and ballroom

Original building demolished early '60s and replaced by new 2-storey structure housing Queens Club Bar, quiet lounge, Golden Grill restaurant & card room. Latter additions included the Bier Keller bar and a supermarket

Transformed into Woodys Family Bar, family ballroom, Harvesters dining room and supermarket

Transformed into Reds Theatre (upstairs) and Ocean Drive half-board restaurant (downstairs)

Interior of Reds given major refurbishment in 2007

Gaiety Theatre
(built c1939)
Formerly named Butlin Theatre

Large theatre. Previously used at the 1938 Glasgow Empire Exhibition

No major changes

No major changes

Demolished. Land now used for go-karts, crazy golf and Fox Kids outdoor play area

Crazy golf moved and replaced with new course in 2007, area occupied by old course currently unused

North Swimming Pool
(built 1930s)

Outdoor heated pool situated outside the Tower building

No major changes but pool was less used after the opening of the new outdoor fun pool in the mid '80s

Left standing but unused. One end converted for use with remote control boats

Filled in using rubble from demolished buildings. Land now used for car parking

Land still used for car parking

South Swimming Pool
(built 1940s?)

Outdoor heated pool situated between the Ingoldmells & Queens buildings

Filled in during the 1970s and land became a crazy golf course. Fountains remained & became flower gardens

Crazy Golf removed. Land not reused

Land used as turning area for vehicles

Land still turning area for vehicles

Boating Lake
(built 1930s)

Large outdoor boating lake by the beach

No major changes

No major changes

Mostly filled in and land used for car parking. Small part remains as duck pond

Still car parking

Kids Playground
(built 1930s)

Playground situated at the front of the camp

No major changes

Closed. Land used for car parking

Still car parking

Still car parking

Yellow Camp
(built 1930s)

Chalets

Various modernisation programs over the years

Chalets demolished. Land used for caravan village known as Sandhills

Caravans removed and brand new Starfish Quay apartments built on site

Apartments still there

Blue Camp
(built 1930s)

Chalets

Various modernisation programs over the years.

Big area of chalets next to Green Camp demolished and replaced with brand new Ingoldmells Village apartments. Southern most chalets replaced with single storey county suite chalets. Rest refurbished and retained as Boston Village

Ingoldmells Village converted to Lagoon Bay.
Boston Village converted to Pacific Wharf

Oldest chalets demolished in 2004 leaving an empty field behind the Skyline Pavillion

Green Camp
(built 1930s)

Chalets

Various modernisation programs over the years.

All chalets north of Infants centre demolished and replaced with brand new Raithby Village. Remainder refurbished & converted into Gunby Village

Raithby Village converted into Ocean Point apartments
Older chalets converted used for staff accomodation

No major changes

Red Camp
(built late 1960s)

Self-catering flatlets built on other side of main road and connected with main camp by subway tunnel

No major changes

Renamed Roman Village. Caravans also added.

All flatlets demolished and replaced with more static caravans

No major changes

Ingoldmells
(built late 1940s)
Formerly the Ingoldmells Hotel

Hotel

Hotel closed. Building later transformed into main Reception, Tudor Lounge bar, kids play area, first aid, coffee bar, cocktail lounge & post office

Merrie England bar added.
Part of building demolished and replaced by "Beach Club" swimming pool

Transformed into Jumpin' Jacks Bar, Swinging Shillelagh bar and restaurant, Fox Kids indoor play area, shops & amusement arcade

Beach Club converted to adult only Spa in 2004.
Swinging Shillelagh demolished in 2006

Indoor Heated Pool
(built early 1950s)

Indoor Heated Pool with underwater windows

No major changes

Closed for swimming and used for canoe and snorkel practise

Demolished

n/a

Chairlift
(built 1962)

Ran from the one end of the camp to the other. The longest in the Butlins empire

No major changes

No major changes during the Funcoast World rebuild. However did close two years later at the end of 1989

Old north chairlift station still standing. Used for storage (?)

Old north chairlift station refurbished and used as Gold Check-in

Miniature Railway
(built 1962)

Ran around the edge of the sports field on the south side of the camp

New larger 'Wild West' train arrived in 1974.

Closed. Land later used for caravans and car parking

n/a

n/a

Steam Locos
(arrived '63 & '64)

Two full size ex-British Rail steam locos placed on display inside the miniature railway loop

Both removed 1971 and preserved elsewhere

n/a

n/a

n/a

Monorail
(built 1965)

Formed a loop of around a mile with two stations

No major changes

No major changes. New trains replaced originals in 1993

No major changes

Closed end of 2002 and scrapped

Edinburgh Bldg
(built ??)

Warwick & Edinburgh dining halls.


Changed to include snooker room, billiards, table tennis, darts and bowls. Small ballroom also added at the front

No major changes

Now Green Baize snooker club & Stars childrens club.
Ballroom became Newsbreak

Newsbreak converted to "The Outlet Store" in 2006 although some Newsbreak items still sold in there

Shopping Centre
(built ??)

Shops, table tennis room and Playhouse Theatre

Playhouse Theatre turned into Junior Showplace

No major changes

Cinema, Everydays supermarket, Harry Ramsdens restaurant & gift shop. Now joined to Skyline Pavilion

No major changes

Victoria
(built ??)

Photo centre, shops and railway enquiries

Amusement arcade added

Became the amusement centre

Was then used for half board check-in & guest services

Converted to "The Front Room" bar in 2006

Infants Centre
(built ??)

No major changes

No major changes

No major changes

No major changes

Still there and still serving the same purpose

Empire Theatre
(built ??)

Theatre and film shows

No major changes

Demolished. Land now part of new Boston Village apartments

n/a

n/a

Children's Theatre
(built ??)

Children's Theatre with junior playroom & parents lounge

Turned into Windsor Sports Centre with trampolines, badmington, keep fit studio and 5-a-side football

No major changes

Now Megazone Laser Arena and staff restaurant (upstairs)

No major changes

Outdoor Fun Pool
(built c1984)

Outdoor fun pool built on the site of the old Reception building

n/a

No major changes

Reduced in size to allow for expansion of "Splash"

No major changes

Indoor Fun Pool
(built 1987)

Indoor fun pool built on the site of the old Princes building

n/a

Built new, named "Funsplash"

Various new slides & features added, renamed "Splash"

No major changes