Golden Sands Holiday Camp, St Mary’s Bay

Golden Sands first opened in 1938 as a 7 acre holiday site made up mostly of tents. After the Second World War, it was developed into a full-board holiday camp with a main building, outdoor swimming pool, wooden chalets, and a large communal dining hall. Its location next to the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway even prompted the construction of a dedicated station to serve the camp in 1948.

In 1958 the Maddieson family acquired Golden Sands, running it alongside their other camp at nearby Littlestone. However, Golden Sands never achieved major success, partly due to its small size, and in 1973 the family sold it to Marlborough Enterprises. The new owners invested more than £40,000 upgrading the facilities and converted it into a holiday centre for the disabled. Over time, most of the original chalets were replaced with caravans, and the site became known as St Mary’s Bay Holiday Centre.

The camp eventually went bankrupt, and the caravans were sold off. It remained derelict throughout much of the 1980s until reopening in 1994 under the name Reunion Leisure Homes with 100 new caravans. Yet within a decade the venture failed, the caravans were removed, and the camp closed once again.

The site was sold in 2004 for £1.8 million. The main buildings were demolished in 2006, and new housing development began on the land in 2011.

We’d love to hear your memories and stories about the camp. Please feel free to leave a comment below.