The Complete Guide To: British holiday camps

Hi de hi! Do holiday camps still exist?

Very much so – in fact, they're thriving. Center Parcs this week celebrates its 20th anniversary in the UK, and bookings are as strong as ever for the Dutch import that has taken root so successfully here. There are now four different Center Parcs in the UK accommodating around one-and-a-half million people each year. The last couple of decades have been lean for some of the longer-established operators, but the stress of overseas travel and mounting concerns over the environment mean that bookings for holidays at home are improving.

The phrase "holiday camp" has pejorative connotations (too many associations with a certain BBC sitcom and glamorous granny contests of the past). These associations are now as dated as knobbly-knee competitions. Millions of pounds have been spent on makeovers, facelifts and reconstruction – all of which have given a whole new look and feel to what are now called "resorts", "parks" and "villages".

These are places that offer a variety of all-encompassing holiday experiences, where everything is on hand and all amenities in close proximity. In fact, in many of the resorts you don't even need to stray beyond the boundary of your "holiday centre": accommodation, food, entertainment and activities are all laid on for you. Here, the resort is the primary attraction; the world beyond the perimeter boundary is of much less interest. In other resorts, usually the smaller independently owned ones, or those with "park" in their title, their situation is a major part of the attraction. These provide access to the surrounding countryside and some of the UK's most scenic spots.

Who runs them?

The three best-known names are Center Parcs (08700 673030; www.centerparcs.co.uk), Butlins (0870167 0131; www.butlins.com), and Pontins (0870 604 5602; www.pontins.com). Butlins and Pontins are an integral part of the culture of British seaside resorts and despite being parodied throughout the years are still very popular. The idea is that once you are on site, you can choose from a wide range of activities. During the day, life tends to centre on a water park (for example Splash Waterworld at Butlins in Skegness), with attention switching to live entertainment in the evening. Pontins at Prestatyn Sands in north Wales features Boney M three times this summer. The locations are being reinvented, with offerings such as spa treatments finding their way on to the agenda. In this way, Butlins and Pontins are moving closer to Center Parcs, sometimes called "Butlins for the middle class". The feel at Center Parcs remains very different, however. It has four car-free "forest villages" (at Longleat in Wiltshire, Elveden in Suffolk, Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire and Whinfell Forest in Cumbria), each of which is set in acres of English woodland and has the capacity to accommodate thousands of visitors at one time. Many families spend their time in the "Sub-Tropical Swimming Paradise" that is at the heart of each Center Parcs property, but there are plenty of outdoor activities as well, from woodland walks and mountain-biking to windsurfing or sailing. A big (and potentially costly) difference from Butlins and Pontins is that most activities are priced separately.

Other groups with multiple centres include Haven and British Holidays (08702 425678; www.havenholidays.com), which has parks in England, Scotland and Wales, all in – or on the edge of – areas of outstanding natural beauty. Park Resorts (0871 664 9820; www.park-resorts.com), also has centres throughout Great Britain, all in coastal areas. Parkdean Holidays (0871 6410410; www.parkdeanholidays.co.uk) offers a mix of locations – some by the sea or the beach, some in countryside settings.

And then there are the one-offs: independently owned holiday centres, and caravan and camping parks. Many are former farms and range from multi-entertainment parks to areas with just a few caravans and tents pitched in a peaceful setting.

What's the set up?

The layout of these camps/resorts/villages tends to follow roughly the same principle, although the scale can vary enormously. Each resort has a centre, which acts as a communal focus: a metaphorical camp fire for everyone to sit around. The size and grandeur of this central meeting point differs depending where you go. You could find yourself under a dome-shaped construction the size of a football pitch, as in Center Parcs and Butlins, or in a prefab building dating from the 1960s. In the larger centres there are shops, bars and restaurants, a stage area for performers, amusement arcades, soft play areas, and often a cinema. Close by will be an outdoor play area, sports facilities, a spa or fun fair.

Nearly all holiday centres have swimming pools. At some resorts this will mean exactly that: a place to do a few lengths and dive off a board. Others offer more elaborate "aqua-facilities": not just pools, but awesome swimming complexes with several different zones packed with waterslides, wave machines, rapids and hot tubs, jets and plumes, fountains and sprays.

Fanning out from these hubs of activity is the accommodation: villas, chalets, apartments, flats, bungalows, cottages, lodges, caravans and tents. There's comfort if you want it. A Center Parc "exclusive villa" in a woodland setting has a private sauna and maid service (£2,299 for four nights). Or there's the very modern Butlins Shoreline Hotel in Bognor Regis (£750.60 for a suite for four nights for two people, including breakfast). Or if there's a lot of you, why not try the coach house at Ribby Hall Village near Blackpool (0800 085 1717; www.ribbyhall.co.uk), which has a private landscaped garden, games room and children's play area. It sleeps up to 12 people at a cost of £2,125 for a five-night stay in August.

Are there holiday camps that cater purely for the active?

Yes, but you need to be reasonably fit before joining up. Such u o camps are for the truly serious; for those who want to be as far away from spas, pampering, or luxury accommodation as possible. If this sounds like you, then you could try an Acorn Adventure (0800 074 9791; www.acornadventure.co.uk) activity holiday in the Brecon Beacons or the Lake District. You sleep in tents pitched around a central marquee and everyone mucks in together, spending the days sailing, canoeing, hill walking or orienteering. It costs £339 per person for four nights in tented accommodation, or £349 if you opt to stay in a chalet. Skern Lodge (01237 475992; www.skernlodge.com), near Bideford in Devon offers a similarly full-on activity set up. You are expected to join in with at least three activities a day. Food, accommodation and all activities for groups of six or more costs £250 per person for four nights.

But if you really want to push those limits, head for an Outward Bound camp (0870 513 4227; www.outwardbound.org.uk). This organisation offers short breaks in the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands and on the Welsh coast. Family weekends cost £145 for adults and £70 for children for two nights and three days. Here the focus is on engaging with natural, rather than man made, surroundings. Activities include: canoeing, rock climbing, abseiling, sailing, and kayaking.

What if I just want to sit back and be entertained?

In the bigger resorts, it's all laid on. At all three Butlins resorts, children are kept occupied by arts and crafts courses, treasure hunts, and pop and dance academies. At Center Parcs' Sherwood Forest Village teenagers can produce their own DVDs, become DJs, make films or do a spot of fashion design.

At night, the tempo changes. All the big names and many of the caravan parks put on stage shows, live bands, discos, theme nights, quizzes, bingo, and cabaret – each with their own unique twist. For instance, at most of its resorts this summer, Haven Holidays has a "webtastic" Spider Man Returns performance and a Circus Show starring visiting Russian performers. Pontins' Blackpool resort has a specific "adult entertainment venue" for its Sequence Dancing nights, when guests can take to the floor and waltz the night away.

There's usually early evening entertainment for children, which lasts until 9pm when the grown-up stuff begins. Entertainment at Butlins is very slick and professional, the resorts are renowned for their spectacular stage shows: dance and music extravaganzas that could easily pass for cut-down versions of West End musicals. Then again, when it comes to entertainment, Butlins does have form: their performance alumni include Sir Cliff Richard, Des O'Connor, Johnny Ball, Dave Allen, Ted Rogers and Jimmy Tarbuck. And just to add a contemporary edge to their line-up, this October Butlins at Bognor is hosting an Ibiza Reunion weekend featuring DJs Jeremy Healy and Dave Pearce.

Anywhere that offers a bit of peace and quiet?

There are a lot of options out there. You'll find plenty of tranquillity at the independently owned Skelwith Fold Caravan Park in the Lake District (015394 32277; www.skelwithfold.co.uk). You need a caravan to stay here (cost for a site per night: £17.50), there are no kids' clubs or quiz nights and not a quad bike in sight. Instead you are in the middle of a peaceful 130-acre wooded estate with views of the Langdale Pikes, and can look out for resident badgers, red squirrels, red deer, bats and tawny owls. How you spend your day is entirely up to you – but it will probably involve visiting the nearby towns of Ambleside and Hawkshead.

Alternatively, there's Kelling Heath Holiday Park in north Norfolk (01263 588181; www.kellingheath.co.uk). A four-night break in a two-bedroom lodge costs £559). The park is set in an area of outstanding natural beauty; you stay in lodges, caravans or tents in woodland or out on open heathland. While you are there, you can take part in stargazing courses, or learn about bush craft.

If you prefer to combine the quiet of the countryside with a bit of resort energy, then there's Haven and British Holidays (08702 425678; www.havenholidays.com), which has parks dotted around the UK. These include some stunning locations, including the South West Coast Path, the Cleveland Way, and within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The parks are lively places, but you have the option of leaving the resort behind and taking advantage of the countryside beyond.

What's the food like?

It depends how good a cook you are: most of the accommodation at these centres is self-catering. There is usually a grocery shop, but don't expect to find anything too exotic. The resort restaurants are, generally, a good option for family eating – you can't go wrong with the pizza and pasta served at Luciano's, an Italian restaurant at Center Parcs, Longleat Forest, or the straightforward menu at Butlins' Shoreline Hotel in Bognor.

How green is this option?

Few people need to get on a plane to get their holiday village, resort or park. For most visitors their chosen destination is an average of a two-hour car journey away. The parks put effort into protecting and nurturing local habitats – there are David Bellamy Conservation Awards for some parks, green awareness schemes, accolades for the nurturing of habitats and species, and a lot of promotion of recycling efforts and energy conservation. But the biggest green benefit is that this sort of holiday exposes the urban Brit to the countryside. They force us to abandon our car in favour of a bicycle or a long hike; they encourage us to go on nature trails and coastal walks; we listen to talks on flora and fauna. It's an education for everyone, although whether that's enough to compensate for the carbon footprint left by all those "Splash Waterworlds", "H2O zones", and " Subtropical Paradises" is debatable.

Where did all this happy camping come from?

It's been going on for more than a hundred years. Originally it was all under canvas. There were no "exclusive villas" in Cunningham Camp for Men, which opened on the Isle of Man in 1884. No alcohol on the premises or women staying over either – rules that did not stop the camp becoming very popular.

Many such prototypes were affiliated with the trade unions and the Co-operative movement. One was set up by John Fletcher Dodd, a founding member of the Independent Labour Party. In 1906, he pitched a few tents in his Norfolk back garden and "Caister Socialist Holiday Camp" came into being. The canvas was soon replaced by more permanent structures. The socialist bit made way for, amongst other things, a licensed bar. However, the camp itself has survived: Caister Holiday Park (www.havenholidays.com) in north Norfolk is still going strong.

What took British holiday camp culture to a new level was the opening of Butlins in Skegness in 1936. Compared with what had gone before it was bold, brash and very big. Sir Billy Butlin (pictured left) noted that many of the visitors to his seaside amusement parks stayed in local boarding houses where they were carted out on to the streets after breakfast and not allowed back in until tea time. Having seen holiday camps in Canada, Butlin knew it could all be very different. Skegness provided accommodation and entertainment in the same place and at an affordable price.

More foreign ideas brought about the next big change in the evolution of UK holiday centres. The opening of the first Center Parcs in Sherwood Forest in 1987 caused a stir. It was the brainchild of Dutchman Piet Derksen, who had noted that urban folk needed a place to escape to for holidays and short breaks. They craved somewhere in a countryside setting with sport and leisure facilities and a degree of comfort. Set in a forest, the first Dutch Center Parc was little more than a fixed caravan site with a swimming pool and tennis court. But it was a winning idea – especially after Derksen added to the Center Parcs concept the "subtropical swimming paradise" – a swimming area covered by a glass dome facilitating all-weather enjoyment.

What does all this cost?

During the school holidays, families are the main customers – and prices soar. The rest of the time it's anyone and everyone. In an attempt to deter hen and stag parties, at some resorts there are restrictions on large same-sex groups booking together. Others, such as Skern Lodge activity centre in Devon actually welcome these get-togethers. There's also a lot of corporate team building that goes on in these camps: spa weekends, " pamper breaks", and themed party weekends.

Many locations still have availability this summer. At Center Parcs (08700 673030; www.centerparcs.co.uk), a four-night midweek stay in August in a two-bed self-catering "comfort" villa costs £795. Butlins (0870 167 0131; www.butlins.com;), offers a four-night midweek stay in a self-catering "silver" apartment in August £756. Pontins (0870 604 5602; www.pontins.com) has a midweek self-catering break in August in a " classic" two-bed apartment for £429. At Haven and British Holidays (08702 425678; www.havenholidays.com), a four-night stay in August for a family of four, self-catering in a two-bed apartment, costs £529. Park Resorts (0871 664 9820; www.park-resorts.com) has a four-night midweek break for family of four staying in a two-bedroom caravan for £270. With Parkdean Holidays (0871 641 0410; www.parkdeanholidays.co.uk), a midweek stay in August in a two-bedroom caravan costs £538.

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