The Butlins holiday resort at Barry Island, which later became the Barry Island Holiday Resort, was one of the largest holiday camps in the United Kingdom. It featured hundreds of chalets, a funfair, an indoor games room, and a swimming complex. Today, however, not a single trace of the once-thriving destination remains. The site is now occupied by a housing estate, a gravel car park, and a stretch of clifftop grassland.
The Scale of the Former Resort
The camp occupied the entire headland at Nell's Point, between two of Barry Island's celebrated beaches. Generations of families would arrive to stay in colour-coded chalets—yellow, red, or blue—each accommodating up to four guests with a lounge, kitchenette, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and toilet. The resort offered exceptional value for money, boasting one of Britain's largest indoor entertainment complexes, the Tropical Indoor Reef Club swimming facility, and an enormous outdoor pool with super flumes and a stage for regular entertainment. Visitors could navigate the site via Timmy the train or Tammy the tram, operating daily from 10.30am to 5.30pm.
Entertainment and Activities
The entertainment at Butlins was virtually limitless. Activities included indoor bowls, five-a-side football tournaments, and creating music videos at the 'pop box'. The 2,000-capacity Gaiety Theatre hosted four distinct family performances weekly, while the Gaiety Ballroom featured big bands seven evenings a week alongside contests such as Best Dressed Woman, Glamorous Grannie, Lovely Legs, and the Miss Majestic Beauty Contest, with over £2,500 in prize money available. The Princes Ballroom offered additional competitions like Bonnie Baby, Father and Son, Fancy Dress, Mr Macho, and Picture of Health. The Pig and Whistle showbar presented showgirls, performers, and comedians from 8pm, while Ebony's Lounge provided a more refined atmosphere and Co Co's disco opened at 11pm, serving as a children's activity venue during the day.
History and Closure
Billy Butlin secured a 99-year lease on Nell's Point after an unpleasant holiday at Barry Island, and Butlins opened its doors in 1966. Despite its success, Butlins announced in 1986 that Barry Island would no longer be part of its plans, and it closed on New Year's Eve. The site reopened in May 1987 as Majestic Barry Island, later renamed The Barry Island Resort after a full refurbishment under the late Rick Wright, who was hailed as 'the saviour of Barry Island'. The Redcoats were renamed Bluecoats in 1991 following Butlins' legal threat.
The Michael Jackson Hoax
In 1992, entertainments manager Martin 'Scott' Clowes announced that Michael Jackson would pass through the camp on his way to a concert in Cardiff. The entire camp turned out, but instead of the pop star, a bluecoat wearing a Michael Jackson mask waved from a Mercedes. Clowes recalled: "The mask looked a bit shiny so we powdered it down and sat him in the back of the car. It was done as a joke. It was amazing, everybody turned out for it, but I got into trouble for it." He added that he had to go into the Gaiety Theatre that evening to explain the prank: "People were laughing and joking, they thought it was funny."
Visitor Memories
Kerry Instone visited Barry Island annually from the mid-1970s to early 1990s. She recalled: "I remember the freedom of being able to go where we wanted whilst we were at the camp - my brother and I had a chalet key on a shoelace around our necks." She described the indoor fair, the smell of popcorn, the arcade, and the cable cars. She stayed in 'Blue camp' and said: "Blue A 216 we asked for and got every time. It was overlooking the beach, it was fabulous."
Final Closure and Demolition
After Butlins left in 1986, the site operated for another decade but faced maintenance issues with flat roofs and timber cladding. The BBC programme That's Life! broadcast a critical report in January 1989 titled "It's Barry Awful. It's Barry Hell." The resort received 8,000 postcards in response, with only 40 complaints. Rick Wright pursued legal action and was awarded £500,000 in damages. However, storm damage and licensing issues led to the camp's permanent closure on November 7, 1996. The council purchased it for £2.25 million, and most of it was demolished by October 1997. Bovis Homes built houses on the land between 2002 and 2003. The last remaining buildings and the outdoor pool were demolished in 2005.
Today, the site is a residential estate, parkland, and a temporary car park for beach visitors. Former visitor Kerry Instone returned during the demolition: "It was very sad. A security guard took me in through the gate and took me inside the buildings that remained. It was heart-breaking." She added: "Happy days indeed and it makes me incredibly sad that I won't see a time like it again, but my memories remain."
