Ayr | Barry Island | Bognor Regis | Clacton | Filey | Minehead | Mosney | Pwllheli | Skegness
Thanks to Tom Bullock for his help with compiling this information
Any additional information is most welcome!
| Name of Building or Attraction | Original Features | Changes from 1963 to 1985 | Changes during the "Somerwest World" rebuild in 1985/86 | Changes from 1987 to 1997 | Changes during the Rank Family Entertainment Resort rebuild in 1998/99 | Changes During Bourne Leisure (2000-2021) | Changes During Blackstone (2021-2022) | Changes During Harris Family (From 2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regency (Later Renamed "Sunsplash") (Built 1962) |
Housed the Old Time Ballroom, Regency Coffee Bar,Rock 'n' roll Ballroom, Indoor heated pool, Games Room & Bingo | No major changes | "The Sunsplash" pool opens, where the Indoor Heated Pool used to be. New flumes added as well as rapids, etc. | The Crazy Horse Saloon is added. | Sunsplash pool closed in 1998, but still remains complete with water (for Sprinkler System). Building now connected to Skyline Pavilion. | "Green Baize" Games Room closed in 2005. Area now re-opened in 2008 as "Crackshots DLG", a paintless paintball & laser game zone. As well as this the building also house the Crazy Horse Saloon & Newsbreak. Sunsplash is still there but disused. | ||
| Outdoor Heated Pool (Built 1962) |
An Outdoor Swimming pool situated between the Regency and Princes Buildings, overlooking the boating lake. | Converted into a fun pool in 1984 | No major changes | No major changes | Demolished - Now the area is the main part of the Skyline Pavilion. | Land still covered by the Skyline Pavilion. | ||
| Boating Lake (Built 1962) |
The Boating lake covered most of the front of the camp. Soil was dug up from it and used to make a mound to stop the entire camp flooding! | No major changes | No major changes | Half of Boating lake filled in to make room for new fun fair in 1992 | No major changes | The opposite end of the lake from the funfair was filled in to allow the BlueSkies time share apartments to be built on it during 2006. A small section of the lake remains today between the funfair & BlueSkies Apartments and was brought back into use in 2009 when motorised bumper boats were introduced. | ||
| Princes (Built 1962) |
Included the following: Pig and Whistle Bar, Indoor Roller Skating rink, Princes Ballroom, Quiet Lounge & Camp Chapel | No major changes | Barnums Show Bar added, Camp Chapel moved to it's own building. | Broadway Theatre added onto the top floor in the early 1990s. 200-seat Cinema replaced the Indoor skating rink. | Broadway Theatre refurbished and renamed 'Centre Stage', a 25,000 sq ft venue with a maximum capacity of 2,000 people. Barnums refurbished and renamed 'Reds' (18,000 sq ft, max capacity 1,200). Building now connected to the Skyline Pavilion. | Centre Stage was refurbished in 2009. | ||
| Playhouse (Built 1962) |
The Playhouse Theatre and shops | Burned down in 1971. Replaced with Exmoor Patio / Gardens and Exmoor Bar. | No major changes. | Exmoor Bar replaced with Molly Malones (Later renamed 'Malones'). Exmoor Gardens Replaced with the new Crazy Golf Course | (Molly) Malones was closed in 1998 | Crazy Golf replaced with Adventure Golf in 2007. Buildings housed Pizza Hut, Hire Centre, Ladbrokes, Crackerjacks and Sun & Moon. Although Crackerjacks was demolished in 2009. |
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| Gaiety (Built 1962) |
Housed the Gaiety Theatre, Radio Butlin, TV lounges, snooker/billiard room, shopping arcade, post office and coffee bar | Radio Butlin scrapped in 1977 | No major changes | Gaiety Theatre Closes | Hotshots (10-pin bowling) replaced the Theatre which was standing empty. A staff only area replaced the entertainments office. Building now connected to the Skyline Pavilion. | Building now houses Finnigans, Jaks, Jokers and the shops which face onto the Boardwalk shopping area. | ||
| Amusement Park (Built 1962) |
Amusement park with various rides. Also included an indoor section. | No major changes | No major changes | Closed 1992 and moved to new site on what was the boating lake. Indoor part became the children's playground. | Multi weather sports courts were added onto the former outdoor funfair area | No major changes | ||
| Nursery (Built 1962) |
Various facilities for infants | No major changes | No major changes | No major changes | No major changes | No major changes | ||
| Dining Halls (Built 1962) |
Huge 43,000 sq ft building with 2 dining halls for campers, named Gloucester and Kent. | No major changes | Halls renamed 'Devon' & 'Somerset' | No major changes | Renamed 'Ocean Drive' (capacity 1500) & 'Coral Beach' (capacity 500). Still used as dining rooms | No major changes | ||
| Beachcomber Building (Built 196?) |
Originally known as the "Stadium Building" with the Beachcomber Bar on the ground floor and games and other facilities on the first floor. | Re named "Beachcomber Building" in 1970. New Children's Theatre added the same year. Also Chinese restaurant & Disco. | No major changes | Beachcomber Bar closed. | Disused. The whole building is left standing, but is not used. | Demolished in 2006 prior to new BlueSkies apartments being built on top of adjoining boating lake. Area is now grassed over as part of landscaping for BlueSkies. Corner space (Where main door used to be) now site of Studio 36 |
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| Windsor Building (Built 196?) |
Originally housed a Quiet Lounge, Children's Playroom and the Windsor Dining Hall. | The following were added (and some removed) Golden Grill, Holiday Fayre Restaurant, Teen Clubroom, Games room Added |
The Holiday Fayre Restaurant was re named "The Family Diner" | No major changes | Demolished in 1999. The area now houses the Kids' large outdoor play park. | No major changes, area still hosts the kids outdoor play park aswell as the Junior Driving School. | ||
| Reception Building (Built 1962) |
Also included public telephones, lost property, British Rail office and campers mail | No major changes | No major changes | No major changes | No major changes, although most check-ins were handled in the Skyline. | Building still used for reception & guest services with check-in moving back to this building in 2009. | ||
| Monorail (Built 1967) |
A monorail track with two trains, each carrying 40 people. The half-mile track was in a figure of eight with the cross-over above the outdoor swimming pool | No major changes | No major changes | Last ran 1996. Track remained in place for a couple of years before being torn down to make room for Skyline Pavilion | n/a | n/a | ||
| Chair Lift (Built 1965) |
630 meters (690 yards) of cable running from the front of the camp to the sports field at the rear. | No major changes | No major changes | Closed end of 1997 season and demolished the following year | n/a | n/a | ||
| Dry Ski Slope (Built ????) |
An artificial ski slope situated next to the water-skiing lake | Removed in the mid 1970s | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | ||
| Oasis / Splash Indoor Swimming Pools (Built 1988) |
n/a | n/a | New indoor pool built on the site of the old Tennis Courts in 1988. Originally named 'Oasis'. | No major changes | Pool tripled in size in 1998 and renamed 'Splash'. Several new water rides also added. | Individual cubicles placed in changing areas in 2011. | ||
| Miniature Railway (opened 1964) |
Formed a 3/4 mile loop around the water skiing lake | Moved 1977 to a new shorter line running from the self-catering reception to Flatlets | Moved yet again, this time running from main Reception to Flatlets at back of camp. | Closed end of 1989 & replaced by road train | n/a | n/a | ||
| Steam Locomotives (arrived 1964) |
2 full-size steam locos on static display next to the Beachcomber. Duchess of Hamilton (built 1938) and Knowle (built 1880) | Both removed end of 1974 season | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | ||
| Camp Chapel (Built 1986) |
A small Church of England chapel with a maximum capacity of around 30. Located in Green Camp | n/a | Small chapel built in Green Camp to replace the one in the Princes Building | No major changes | No major changes | No major changes, still kept in remarkably good condition. | ||
| Red Camp (Built 1962) |
Chalets | No major changes | Renamed 'Redwood' | No major changes | Now known as 'Surfer's Point' & Sunset Wharf' | No major changes | ||
| Blue Camp (Built 1962) |
Chalets | No major changes | Renamed 'Beachwood' | No major changes | Now known as 'Pacific Wharf' & 'Ocean Point' | No major changes | ||
| Yellow Camp (Built 1962 - ????) |
Chalets | No major changes | Renamed 'Yellowstone Park' | Large section demolished and replaced with new apartments during the late 1980's. New apartments known as 'Exmoor Village', remaining older chalets became part of 'Beachwood' | Newer apartments renamed 'Oyster Bar', old two storey chalets now known as 'Atlantic Bay' & old single storey ones now known as 'Pacific Wharf'. | No major changes | ||
| Green Camp (Built 196?) |
Chalets | No major changes | Renamed 'Greenacres' | No major changes | Renamed 'Lagoon Bay' | Refurbished & renamed 'Holnicote Village' | ||
| Flatlets (first built 1976, second batch 1981) |
Self-catering apartments located on the old sports field at the rear of the camp | No major changes | No major changes | No major changes | Some now used for staff accomodation only. | All now used for staff accomodation. | ||
| Modern Apartments (built late 1980s on the site of the old petrol pumps behind reception) |
Chalets | n/a | Built as 'Somerset Village' | No major changes | Renamed 'Plantation Quay' | No major changes | ||
| Blueskies Apartments (built new in 2007 on one end of the former boating lake) |
Chalets | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | Built on one end of the former boating lake following the demolition of the Beachcomber Building. | ||
| Caravan Park (built 1986?) |
n/a | n/a | Built on sports field next to old water-skiing lake at rear of camp, named 'Lakeside' | No major changes | No major changes | No major changes | ||
| Skyline Pavilion (built 1999) |
50,000 sq ft covered area with restaurants, amusements & stage area for live shows. | n/a | n/a | n/a | Built new in 1999 linking the old Princes, Regency & Gaiety buildings. Covers the site of the old outdoor pool | Skyline Cafe removed in 2007 and replaced with much flatter seating area to allow for arena concerts to take place in the Skyline Pavilion. | ||
| New Outdoor Pool (built 1999) |
New outdoor funpool next to 'Splash'. | n/a | n/a | n/a | Built new in 1999 on site of old kids Yacht Pond | No major changes | ||
| Studio 36 (Opened April 2021) |
New all weather events space for upto 1600 people | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | Built during Covid period on corner of old Beachcomber building plot (on corner of plot where entrance door was) |
