MINEHEAD

The camp was opened on the 26 May 1962 at a cost of around £2 million and was the largest of the Butlin’s post-war holiday camps.

Chosen for its good rail links and flat landscape, although this did present a problem with flooding from the sea, resulting in the spoil from the boating lake, being used to build a sea defence.

Minehead was the first of the Butlin’s sites to undergo major redevelopment work as part of the 1980s investment program. £10 million was spent on this renovation which saw the refurbishment of the indoor swimming pool as well as new chalets and flatlets. Following the redevelopment work, the camp was renamed Somerwest World.

Through the late 1980s to mid 1990s, the monorail, chairlift and miniature railway were removed from the camp. In 1993, the amusement park was reopened by Lady Sheila Butlin following its move to the front of the camp.

In 1998, Butlin’s Minehead was selected as one of the three sites to remain open and again underwent major redevelopment. A Skyline Pavilion was added to the resort and the name Somerwest World was dropped. From 1999 further development work saw the modification of Minehead's chalet accommodation and the addition of Europe's largest high ropes course to the site.

In 2007, further work in the Minehead resort has been undertaken with the creation of the new BlueSkies timeshare apartments.