Portelet Holiday Camp

Portelet Holiday Camp

Portelet Holiday Camp opened in 1925 with wooden chalets spread across the headland, and a communal dining hall. Shortly before the Second World War the new Concorde building was constructed, despite considerable controversy over what was seen by many as an ugly blot on the skyline. During the war the site was requisitioned by the Germans and used to house troops manning the defences at Noirmont

The camp awaiting demolition

Nigel Oxenden

The holiday camp was founded by Nigel Oxenden, and passed to his daughter, Joy, who eventually sold it to holiday camp magnate Sir Billy Butlin, although it never became an official part of the Butlin holiday camp chain.

Billy Butlin

Little work was done on the camp in the 1950s and 60s, but as Jersey's holiday industry peaked in the 70s and 80s, Portlet Holiday Camp because extremely popular and steadily grew in size.

Fred Pontin

The biggest expansion came after 1994, when the business was purchased from the Butlin family by Pontins. The group completely converted what became known as the Jersey Holiday Village, creating three self-catering accomadation blocks named Consort, Regent and Horizon. The main building remained and included a restaurant, bar, indoor jacuzzi, sports bar, children's room.

The camp closed in 2000 after the Pontin's chain was broken up following the death of Sir Fred Pontin, and was eventually sold for development.

• Plemont Holiday Camp, Pontins sister camp in the north of the island

Major development viewed from the air by the Jersey Evening Post in 1974 ...

... And what the bay looks like from the air in 2024. The holiday camp has been replaced by luxury flats. Picture by Chris Brookes

Brochure

The pages of a 1930s holiday brochure, when the camp was owned by the Oxenden family. Click on any page to see the full-size version

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Gallery

Staff and guests in 1933. Similar group photographs were taken at many island hotels in the 1930s. This is the earliest we have ever seen of the holiday camp

Click on any image to see a full-size version

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  Portelet when the holiday camp first opened - wooden chalets scattered over the slopes above the beach
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  1939
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  Portelet Holiday Camp
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  The camp before it was finally demolished to make way for apartments
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  The original camp with chalets scattered over the headland. The main complex was at the top left of this photograph
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  The road down through the camp
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  An advertisement for the camp
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  The camp in the 1970s
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  An advertisement for the camp
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  Another advertisement
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  The village on a Tuck postcard
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  Penguin block
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  Concorde block
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  The camp in its early days, with chalets scattered over the headland
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  An improved copy of an earlier picture, courtest of Jersey Temps Passe: In its earliest days the accommodation at the camp consisted largely of tents
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  1939
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  1939
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  1931 advert
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  1964 tourism guide advert
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  The early days, when camping meant tents
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German Occupation

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  The camp in 1941
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  The Germans used the camp for accommodation during the Occupation
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  German soldiers in their mess
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  1941
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