Tucked away at the end of what is now College Close in Westward Ho!, Devon, once stood Buckleigh Place, a country manor with a surprising post-war holiday history. Though largely forgotten today, the site was once part of the mighty Pontins holiday camp empire.
The roots of Buckleigh Place stretch back to the early 20th century, when the large manor house operated as Buckleigh Junior School. In 1934 the property was acquired by a Mr. Amis, who transformed the building into a 23-bedroom hotel. This new venture, however, was short-lived. At the outbreak of the Second World War the hotel was requisitioned for military use and in 1943 most of its contents were auctioned off. For the remainder of the war years, the once-grand house sat empty.
In 1947, Fred Pontin purchased the Sand Bay Holiday Camp near Weston Super Mare and as part of the deal, he also acquired Buckleigh Place – the two were being sold as a package deal and he paid £56,691 for both. Pontin decided to keep the hotel and soon reopened it as a country club. Before long it was appearing in the main Pontins summer holiday brochure.
He later added nine wooden chalets in the surrounding six acres of grounds, allowing the site to accommodate around 75 guests in total. Other facilities included a putting green and tennis courts – simple leisure activities that defined the post-war holiday experience.
Pontin eventually sold Buckleigh Place in 1963 to William Dossetter, who continued to operate it for another decade. Under his ownership the site saw one notable addition: in 1964 a swimming pool was built, a modern amenity that gave the hotel fresh appeal.
Despite these improvements, Buckleigh Place could not compete with rising land values and in 1972 the estate was sold and the hotel closed its doors for good.
What Remains Today
Most of the Buckleigh Place estate has since been redeveloped into modern housing, forming today’s College Close cul-de-sac off Bay View Road. Much of the old manor house was demolished – around two-thirds of it disappeared – but a portion of the original structure still survives. Interestingly, the swimming pool added in 1964 still remains on the site, a faint reminder of the hotel’s holiday past.
Though easily overlooked in the story of Pontins, Buckleigh Place reflects the post-war boom in British holiday making. Today, little remains, but its legacy lingers in the memories of those who once holidayed there.
We’ve also covered the history of several other Pontin camps which can be found in our A-Z blog index.
We’d love to hear your stories and memories of Buckleigh Place. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
