Butlin's Filey facts for kids
Filey Holiday Camp was a famous holiday spot in Filey, North Yorkshire, England. It was built by Billy Butlin for his holiday company. Building started in 1939. From 1939 to 1945, during World War II, the camp was used by the military. It was known then as RAF Hunmanby Moor.
The camp had its own special train line and station, called Filey Holiday Camp railway station. This opened in 1947. The camp closed in 1983. The train station is still there today, but it's on private land.
Today, the area where the camp stood is home to the Primrose Valley holiday park. There is also "The Bay Filey" holiday resort nearby. The old boating lake was filled in. It is now a big green space with a path leading to the beach.
History of Filey Holiday Camp
Building the Filey Holiday Camp began in 1939. It was meant to be a fun place for families. But then, World War II started. The government made a deal with Billy Butlin. They helped finish building the camp. In return, they used it to house military staff. It was called RAF Hunmanby Moor during this time.
After the war ended in 1945, Billy Butlin got his camp back. A special train line was built in 1945. It officially opened in 1947. This line connected the camp to the main Hull to Scarborough Line. It had its own station, Filey Holiday Camp railway station. This made it easy for holidaymakers to arrive.
Around 1953, a small, two-foot wide narrow gauge railway was added inside the camp. This was a fun ride for visitors. The first train used on this small railway was sold in 1975. Its carriages were later used at another railway in Wales.
Peak Popularity and Closure
At its busiest, Filey Holiday Camp could host 11,000 visitors at once. In 1975, a total of 175,000 people visited the camp.
From the 1960s, more and more people started owning cars. This meant fewer visitors used the train line to get to the camp. The idea of closing the train line came up in 1972. Butlin's paid to keep it open for a while. However, the train line finally closed in 1977.
The Butlin's holiday camp itself closed in 1983. For a short time in 1986, it reopened as Amtree Park. But it did not last long.
The buildings of the old camp were taken down over many years. This happened between 1988 and 2003.
