Ladbroke Holidays: The Rise & Fall

During the 1960s and 1970s, several established companies ventured into the holiday park industry, including Godfrey Davis, Coral bookmakers and Guinness brewers. Ladbrokes joined them in 1972 when they acquired the Caister Group, a well-known holiday park operator based in Norfolk.

A brief history of the Caister Group

The Caister Group began in 1958 when local businessman Tom Watson acquired the Caister and Silver Springs holiday parks. Watson expanded the group into a flourishing business that included three hotels in Great Yarmouth (the Cavendish, Metropolitan, and New Beach), seven holiday parks, a fleet of Norfolk Broads rental boats, and several car dealerships.

In 1972, Godfrey Davis made a £5.5 million bid for the Caister Group, but Ladbrokes outbid them with a £6 million offer. Ladbrokes sold the hotels and car dealerships but retained six holiday parks, rebranding them to form their Ladbrokes Holidays division. They also kept the boating business.

Ladbrokes went on to buy several more holiday parks around the country. In 1973 they purchased 3 parks from Albert Figgins and In 1978 they acquired 4 more when they took over the firm of Leisure & General Holdings

A brief history of Leisure & General Holdings (previously Liverpool City Caterers)

The company of Liverpool City Caterers first got its start in 1875 when they opened a chain of ‘cocoa houses’ around Liverpool. At the time most daytime food was only available in pubs and the drinking had gotten out of hand. so the cocoa houses offered an alcohol free alternative to buying lunch.

Over the years the company expanded with many snack bars and restaurants around Merseyside along with a large catering company, a brewery and a bakery. They bought the Bradford Hotel. They established a chain of hifi electrical shops under the Hardman Radio name. They acquired a chain of betting shops along with 4 holiday parks which traded under their Mercury Leisure name. They also built up a chain of roadside motels under the name of Mercury Motor Inns. They later changed their name to Leisure & General Holdings. 

In 1978 the company was sold to Ladbrokes who sold off some of the assets and kept the rest. The 4 holiday parks were rebranded under the Ladbroke name. The Mercury Motor Inns were kept and moved to their hotel division.

The end of Ladbroke Holidays

In 1987 Ladbrokes sold all their holiday parks to Mecca Leisure, owner of Warners Holiday Camps, for £55 million. Most of their camps were then rebranded under the Warners name. 

In 1990 Mecca Leisure was acquired by Rank Leisure, owners of Butlins and Haven, so most of the parks were rebranded yet again under the Haven name. Some were later sold off.

List of Ladbroke Holiday Parks

Caister Holiday Camp – acquired from Caister Group 1972, still open as a Haven park

Seashore (Gt Yarmouth) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, still open as a Haven park

Silver Sands (Caister) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, later merged into the main Caister camp

Sunbeach (California) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, sold 1983 to Sand Chalets Ltd, still open

Jubilee Bridge (Heacham) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, sold 1975. Still open as Palm Beach Holiday Park

Manor Park (Hunstanton) – acquired from Caister Group 1972, sold 1975. Still open as a Parkdean resort.

Perran Sands (Perranporth) – acquired in 1973 for £586,000, still open as a Haven park

Nodes Point (Isle of Wight) – acquired from Albert Figgins in 1973, still open as a Parkdean resort

Fort Warden (Isle of Wight) – acquired from Albert Figgins in 1973, closed 1991

Ventnor Holiday Villas (Isle of Wight) – acquired from Albert Figgins 1973, sold c1983, still open

Devon Valley (Shaldon) – acquired from Courage Brewers in 1976, closed 2022. 

Riviere Sands (St Ives) – acquired from Courage Brewers in 1976, still open as a Haven park

Sussex Coast Country Club (Middleton on Sea) – acquired from Leisure and General Holdings in 1978. Closed 1996 and land sold for housing

Blue Waters Weymouth – acquired from Leisure and General Holdings in 1978. Previously the Chesil Beach Holiday Camp which opened in the 1940s on the site of the old Port Sanitary Hospital. Still open as Chesil Beach Holiday Park

Blue Waters Seaton, first opened 1953 – acquired from Leisure and General Holdings in 1978. When Mecca bought Ladbrokes they merged this camp with their adjoining Warners camp and renamed them both as Lyme Bay. Closed & demolished 2008, now a Tesco supermarket.

Devon Coast Country Club (Paignton) – acquired from Leisure & General Holdings in 1978.  Closed 1994 and land sold for housing

Teignhaven (Shaldon) – acquired 1981. Closed 1990 and land sold for housing

Wallis’s (Cayton Bay) – acquired 1981 for 1.9 million, still open as a Parkdean park

Beeson’s (Torquay) –  acquired 1981. Located next door to Pontins Barton Hall. Still open as Torquay Holiday Park, run by Parkdean.

Seaview (Weymouth) – acquired 1986. Still open as a Haven park

Lower Hyde (Shanklin) – acquired 1986. Still open as a Parkdean park

We’d love to hear your stories and memories of Ladbroke Holidays. Please feel free to share your comments below.