Clacton-on-Sea in Essex was once a thriving seaside destination and home to a famous Butlin's holiday camp, but the resort closed in 1983 and was demolished by 1987 - and the Which?-ranked town is now hoping for a regeneration revival

A once-thriving seaside resort that has plummeted down the rankings used to be the site of an enormous Billy Butlin's holiday camp — though you'd be hard-pressed to tell these days.

Renowned for its award-winning pier, expansive sandy shores and traditional fairground attractions, Clacton-On-Sea was once a magnificent coastal hotspot that attracted holidaymakers in their thousands from all corners of Britain. Yet last year, Clacton, in Essex, landed third-from-bottom in Which?'s annual league table of the UK's best seaside resorts.

The town managed a meagre 42 per cent — a far cry from Bamburgh, which claimed the top spot with a remarkable 84 per cent destination score.

But in its heyday, before the Benidorm boom lured Brits away from British coastlines in favour of cheap package getaways to Spain, Clacton was an entirely different proposition. In 1936, Billy Butlin acquired the West Clacton Estate — which already featured a miniature golf course and boating lake — and turned it into the famous Red Coat resort that went on to become a cherished British institution.

The resort closed its doors when war erupted, with the Army briefly taking over the premises. Yet in 1946, it was reopened as a holiday camp — and later bought up adjoining land for further development.

"By the late 1950s, Butlin's had become a national institution and to some extent, Clacton was able to bask in its reflected glory," Clacton History explained. "The combination of Butlin's and Clacton had become firmly established and for both their futures as family holiday venues seemed unshakeable."

Much like other Butlin's sites across the country, holidaymakers descended in their droves to take advantage of the wide-ranging facilities on offer, including cosy chalets, a vast outdoor swimming pool, fairground rides, a ballroom, a bowling green, shops, a miniature railway and first-rate entertainment. Celebrated acts such as the Beverley Sisters, Michael Holliday and Jack Douglas are believed to have performed on the camp's stages during the early stages of their careers.

Yet, unable to compete with the allure of cheap flights to sun-soaked Spain, and blighted by unruly youngsters using the venue as little more than a drinking spot, Butlin's sadly closed its doors for good in 1983 — the very same year the Filey resort also shut up shop.

According to Butlin's Memories, the site was purchased for around £2 million by Amusement Enterprises Ltd, who unveiled ambitious plans to reinvent the complex as a 'Disneyland'-style theme park. Under its new name, Atlas Park, the site reopened in 1984 but remained largely unchanged from its Butlin's days.

The venture lasted just four months before running into financial difficulties, and the land was sold on once again. By 1987, the entire site had been demolished.

The site now serves as a residential estate for local people, ideally situated near the seafront. It seems worlds away from Butlin's golden era — which remains warmly remembered by numerous locals.

Despite being located just 60 miles from London — one of Europe's wealthiest cities — Clacton and Jaywick are plagued by low incomes and negative public perception, with dark tourists and American influencers travelling there to document their hardships.

Fortunately, there is considerable hope on the horizon for the region. The District Council is progressing with a series of regeneration schemes across Clacton, Jaywick Sands and Dovercourt after successfully securing millions of pounds in Government funding.

The Council joined a Community Regeneration Partnership (formerly the Levelling Up Partnership) in late 2024 and received £20million in funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to regenerate Clacton and Jaywick Sands.

In Clacton, these include plans to transform the 200-year-old Martello Tower on Clacton seafront and bring it into regular use, in a project TDC says will convert "a disused public convenience close to Clacton Pier into a vibrant cultural venue and providing a free-to-use BMX pump track, learn-to-cycle and climbing facility at Clacton Leisure Centre."

An additional £20million was also obtained from the Local Regeneration Fund (formerly Levelling Up Fund) for Clacton Town Centre which was awarded to establish the new 'Clacton Civic Quarter'. Clacton Library is also undergoing a major redevelopment, with a brand new multi-storey building set to be constructed on the existing site, which will house a centre for Adult Community Learning as well as local registration services.