Abandoned vacation camp in Britain’s ‘worst seaside city’ was ‘excellent’
The site of the Butlin’s Clacton holiday camp has been redeveloped into a housing estate, but the legacy of the beloved resort lives on in the hearts of many locals
UK’s ‘worst’ seaside town abandoned by Butlin’s
A once-thriving seaside resort that has plummeted down the league tables used to be home to a colossal Billy Butlin’s holiday camp – though you’d be hard-pressed to recognise it today.
Renowned for its prize-winning pier, expansive golden sands and traditional funfair attractions, Clacton-On-Sea was formerly a magnificent coastal hotspot that attracted holidaymakers by the thousand from right across Britain. Yet last year, the Essex resort landed third-from-bottom in Which?’s annual survey of the UK’s top seaside destinations.
The town managed just a measly 42 per cent – a world away from chart-topper Bamburgh, which secured an outstanding 84 per cent destination rating.
But during its golden era, before the Benidorm explosion lured Brits from British coastlines towards cut-price package breaks in Spain, Clacton was an entirely different proposition. In 1936, Billy Butlin snapped up the West Clacton Estate – which already featured a miniature golf course and boating lake – and turned it into the legendary Red Coat complex that became a cherished British landmark.
The complex closed its doors when conflict erupted, with the Army briefly taking over the premises. Yet in 1946, it reopened as a holiday camp – and later bought up adjacent land for development. “By the late 1950s, Butlin’s had become a national institution and to some extent, Clacton was able to bask in its reflected glory,” Clacton History explained. “The combination of Butlin’s and Clacton had become firmly established and for both their futures as family holiday venues seemed unshakeable.”, reports the Mirror.
Just like other Butlin’s sites, holidaymakers descended in droves to sample the vast array of facilities on offer, featuring cosy chalets, a massive outdoor swimming pool, funfair rides, a ballroom for dancing, a bowling green, shops, a miniature railway, and first-class entertainment. Performers including the Beverley Sisters, Michael Holliday, and Jack Douglas are believed to have performed on the camp’s stages during the early days of their careers.
Yet, powerless to compete with the allure of budget flights to balmy Spain, and blighted by unruly youngsters using the venue as a boozing hotspot, Butlin’s sadly closed its doors in 1983 – the same year the Filey resort also shut down.
According to Butlin’s Memories, the site was purchased for roughly £2 million by Amusement Enterprises Ltd – who unveiled ambitious plans to convert the complex into a ‘Disneyland’ style theme park. Under a new name, Atlas Park, the site reopened in 1984 but remained largely unchanged from its Butlin’s days. The venture survived just four months before hitting financial difficulties, and the land was sold again. By 1987, everything had been demolished. The site now operates as a residential development for locals, ideally situated near the coast. It seems worlds away from Butlin’s golden era – which remains cherished in the memories of many residents.
Despite being located merely 60 miles from London – amongst Europe’s wealthiest capitals – Clacton and Jaywick are plagued by modest earnings and negative reputation, attracting dark tourists and American content creators who travel there to document their hardships.
Fortunately, there’s considerable optimism ahead for the region. The District Council is progressing with numerous regeneration schemes throughout Clacton, Jaywick Sands and Dovercourt following successful bids for millions in Government investment.
The Council joined a Community Regeneration Partnership (previously known as the Levelling Up Partnership) in late 2024 and secured £20million in funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to revitalise Clacton and Jaywick Sands.
For Clacton, these encompass plans to transform the 200 year old Martello Tower along Clacton’s waterfront and restore it to active use, in a scheme TDC states will transform “a disused public convenience close to Clacton Pier into a vibrant cultural venue and providing a free-to-use BMX pump track, learn-to-cycle and climbing facility at Clacton Leisure Centre.”
An additional £20million was also obtained from the Local Regeneration Fund (previously Levelling Up Fund) for Clacton Town Centre which was approved to establish the new ‘Clacton Civic Quarter’. Clacton Library is also set for a transformation into a new multi-storey building, to be constructed on the existing library site, which will incorporate a centre for Adult Community Learning and local registration services.
