Howstrake Holiday Camp

Howstrake, established in 1907 was the first holiday camp in the British Isles. The Camp replaced the “Cunningham’s International Young Men’s Holiday Camp”, which occupied the same site,  from about 1897 until 1903. The beautiful forested Groudle Glen with nature trails, beach and minute railway, lies immediately to the north of the site.

The campsite has lain closed and vacant since its last visitors left in 1973. Plans to turn the area into a holiday village, similar to the one built at Groudle, were never granted planning permission. In the 1980′s a huge fire destroyed most of the buildings. There are a few remaining, however the site is now derelict.