Butlin's Minehead 

**There is a lot of history here if you wish to bypass this and go to the Minehead submenu, click on these words**

Before the Butlin's Holiday Camp
Sir William (Billy) Butlin was looking for a new location for his next holiday camp when he arrived at Minehead in Somerset. He chose locations that offered advantages for his customers to enjoy the Butlin's magic and the beauty of the town. He purchased 165 acres of farming land that was close to the railway, the ocean, the town, and transport links.

1961 - Construction had started
Constructing the new Butlin's camp was quite a challenge due to the land's tendency to flood. However, by digging a ditch around the campsite to facilitate drainage, Butlins were able to mitigate this problem. In addition, a beautiful lake has been created at the back of the site. The construction of the camp, including chalets, a dining room, and entertainment buildings, cost 2 million pounds.
 
1962 - Butlin's Minehead opens its gates for the first time
Butlin's Ltd proudly welcomes the opening of a new Butlins camp with chalets, entertainment, dining, and a traditional fairground.

1964 -The miniature railway
Butlin's expanded its offerings by adding new areas and experiences for customers, including a miniature railway.

1965 - Chairlifts
The chair lifts were installed in 1965 and offer visitors a panoramic view of the pure beauty of Minehead and the surrounding area.

1967 -  The Iconic Butlin's Monorail Train
Billy Butlin confidently approved the installation of a monorail at Minehead, making it the second of nine camps to have the ride, the Skegness camp having already had one. The track, which was different from the one at Skegness, ran in a figure of eight above and below each other whilst passing over the outside swimming pool.

1986 - 1998  - The birth of Butlins Somerwest World
The Rank organisation, which owns Butlins, has made significant changes to the brand. It has closed several sites, including Clacton and Barry Island. However, the company maintained its commitment to providing friendly and enjoyable holiday experiences by keeping five camps open, including Minehead, which was chosen to continue the Butlin's legacy. The company rebranded as Butlin's Holiday Worlds, with five camps representing the name.

The five remaining camps were now known as Wonderwest World, Starcoast World, Funcoast World, Southcoast World, and Minehead, known as Somerwest World. The main swimming pool has been converted into a fun pool named Sunsplash, which now features flumes and rapids. Additionally, Minehead's outdoor swimming pool boasts exciting slides and other fun attractions, ensuring a friendly and memorable holiday for all guests. Butlin's also added another swimming pool, named Oasis, next to the former go-karting area, a friendly.

1999 - Butlins Holiday Camp was renamed to Holiday Resort
The Rank organisation, who were the owners at the time, made a bold move to significantly change Butlins and reduce the number of camps and hotels associated with the brand. As a result, they sold all hotels and kept only three locations under the Butlin's name: Skegness, Bognor Regis, and Minehead. These locations are now known as Butlins Family Entertainment Resorts. Sunsplash was closed down and the outside swimming pool was replaced with a stage and seating area with a cafe.

2002 - 2021 - Butlins Minehead has a new owner
Bourne Leisure Limited acquired the Rank holiday division and reinstated some areas that were removed in the 1999 change. This included reintroducing Adult weekends, which were discontinued in the new resort format. Several chalets on the campsite were upgraded to meet the new demands, and a former single-decker accommodation was demolished to make way for the new Lakeside village chalet design. Bourne Leisure Limited made significant investments in Butlins, modernizing the facilities while preserving its traditional charm.

2022  - 2024 - Butlins has a new owner -  The Harris Family Trust
Following a change in ownership, Bourne Leisure Limited underwent a restructuring of its locations, with Butlins no longer fitting into the new plans. As a result, Butlins was put up for sale at all three locations and was subsequently purchased by the Harris family. Since then, Butlin's has remained in safe hands with many investment plans in place.