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  • Home
  • Why You Should Visit The Isle Of Wight
  • Ferry travel advice & discounts
    • Discount Isle of Wight Ferry Travel
    • Isle Of Wight Ferry Beginners Guide
    • Wightlink's Tesco Clubcard deal – is it the best discount?
    • Using Wightlink’s Multilink deal for cheap ferry travel
    • Cheap Isle of Wight Ferry Travel For Caravans
    • 5 Isle Of Wight Holidays Including Ferry Travel
  • Holiday parks, hotels, camping & cottages
    • Family holiday parks & caravans >
      • 10 Of The Best Isle of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
      • Parkdean Resorts Isle of Wight Holiday Parks (formerly Park Resorts)
      • Which Isle Of Wight Holiday Park Should I Stay In?
      • Last Minute Deals And Discounts At Holiday Parks
      • Is There A Haven Holiday Park On The Isle Of Wight?
      • Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park Reviews and Facilities
      • Lower Hyde And Landguard Holiday Park Review
      • 6 Tricks To Save Money At Isle Of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
    • Hotels & guest houses >
      • Isle of Wight Hotels - a beginner's guide
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Luxury Hotels
      • Warner's Bembridge Coast & Norton Grange hotels
      • 5 Best Isle of Wight Coach Tour Holidays And Trips
      • Isle of Wight Hotels With A Sea View
      • 5 Ventnor Hotels And Guest Houses
    • Spa Breaks & Romantic >
      • 3 Best Isle Of Wight Spa Break Hotels And Spa Days
      • Romantic Isle Of Wight Holidays For Couples
    • Camping & glamping >
      • 20 Isle Of Wight Camping And Touring Parks
      • Isle of Wight Glamping
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      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Shanklin
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      • Brambles Chine And Linstone Chine Self Catering
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      • 5 Best Isle Of Wight Holiday Lodges
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      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Airbnb Holiday Homes
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      • 10 Best Places To Stay For Large Groups
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    • Accommodation advice >
      • What Time Of Year Should I Visit The Isle Of Wight?
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      • Where Is The Cheapest Place To Stay?
  • Festivals, days out & attractions
    • Festivals & carnivals >
      • Major Festivals And Carnivals
      • Isle of Wight Festival 2023 Lineup And Tickets
      • 10 Unforgettable Isle of Wight Festival Moments
      • Isle of Wight Festival History
      • Cowes Week - Attractions And Accommodation
    • Free days out & attraction discounts >
      • Free Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
      • Discounts To Isle Of Wight Attractions
      • Itinerary For A Budget Isle of Wight Holiday
      • 10 Ways To Save Money On Isle Of Wight Holidays
    • Attractions for children, teenagers, adults >
      • Activities For Toddlers On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Children And Families On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Teenagers On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Adults On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For An Isle Of Wight Stag Do
      • Surviving An Isle Of Wight Holiday With A Toddler
    • Quirky days out >
      • 10 Quirky Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Things You Can't Do On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Things You Can Only Visit On The Isle Of Wight
      • Isle Of Wight TV & Movie Tour
      • 10 Reasons To Visit The Isle Of Wight
    • Days out in Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor >
      • 10 Things To Do In Bembridge, St Helen's and Seaview
      • 10 Things To Do In Cowes And East Cowes
      • 10 Things To Do In Newport and Carisbrooke
      • 15 Things To Do In Ryde
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      • Rainy Day Activities On The Isle Of Wight
      • Itinerary For A Rainy Isle Of Wight Holiday
      • Winter Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
    • Zoos, historic attractions, gardens >
      • Isle of Wight Zoos And Animal Attractions
      • Historic Attractions On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Isle of Wight Gardens And Parks
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      • Day Trips From Portsmouth To The Isle of Wight
      • Day Trips From Southampton To The Isle of Wight
      • Day Trips From Lymington To The Isle of Wight
    • Car journey games & viewpoints >
      • 5 Isle Of Wight Car Journey Games
      • 15 Best Isle Of Wight Car Park Viewpoints
      • The Isle Spy Car Journey Game
  • Beaches, tides, watersports & weather
    • Which Is The Best Isle Of Wight Beach For...
    • Isle of Wight Beaches Interactive Map
    • Isle Of Wight Tide Times
    • Isle of Wight Weather Forecast
    • Isle Of Wight Surf Forecast
    • Isle of Wight Watersports
    • The Beach Holiday Checklist - 5 Accessories
    • Mobile Version Of Isle Of Wight Best Beaches
  • Walking, Cycling, Driving & Public Transport
    • Walking >
      • Walking The Isle of Wight Coastal Path
      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Walks (Circular, 3-9 miles)
      • 10 Isle of Wight Short Walks For Children (1 Mile)
      • Isle of Wight Themed Walks
      • Isle of Wight Treasure Trails and Treasure Hunts
    • Cycling Holidays On The Isle of Wight
    • Public Transport
    • Isle Of Wight Car Hire
    • Wighty 90 Driving Route
  • Dog friendly
    • Dog Friendly Isle of Wight Accommodation
    • Dog Friendly Isle Of Wight Holidays
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    • Eating Out On A Budget
    • Pubs And Restaurants With A Sea View
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    • Isle Of Wight Supermarkets
  • Useful information
    • Boring & practical stuff >
      • FAQ
      • Which Mobile Phone Network Has The Best Signal On The Isle Of Wight?
      • Cheap Parcel Delivery And Sending Mail To The Isle Of Wight
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Isle of Wight Guru

What now for Harcourt Sands?

26/5/2018

16 Comments

 
I only have vague memories of Harcourt Sands Holiday Park whilst growing up on the Isle of Wight. I remember messing around on a playground there during a birthday party, and I discovered evidence whilst clearing out that I spent a day there as part of a Boys’ Brigade weekend in the mid 90s.

I’ll admit these are not heartwarming anecdotes of a bygone day but there’s a lot of affection for the site in Puckpool which now lies derelict and feels like an enormous waste of a prime seaside location.

Some of the videos and comments on YouTube offer the kind of affection you might expect following the death of a beloved aunt ("The memories with everyone will never be forgotten") as well as tales of people meeting their spouses in Whites.
​
According to various sources online it was two sites - St Clare and Puckpool – before merging in the 1990s and shutting in 2006.

According to the uploader, this film shows it a couple of years before closure in around 2004. Just look at all those smiling faces...
A year after closure came the fire which left the main entertainment area looking pretty sorry for itself.
Since then, various videos have appeared showing the whole site in its abandoned state. I'm a sucker for these videos, which make an empty site look like a sequel to the Blair Witch Project. 
A few years later a plan emerged to turn the site into '128 residential dwellings, alongside a tourism proposal that would comprise either a 63 bed hotel or 15 holiday units'. 

The recent news was that the developer had given up on that plan. At the time of writing, 2.8 acres of the site is up for sale for £350,000 with plans for a hotel.

One article quoted a local councillor who said that 'I would like to see housing there, as it would be a nice spot to live, and by just being empty it is affecting all the businesses in Ryde' and that 'I think the days of holiday camps are gone'.

Personally I have been hoping it might become a holiday park once again since most holiday parks have moved on a long way since the days of knobbly knee competitions and damp caravans.

Modern parks have a mix of posh lodges and cheap caravans as well as loads to do onsite. Hotels are great if you're a loved up couple but for families with young children a decent holiday park is ideal. 

Holiday parks offer self catering accommodation so you don't have to ask the hotel to cook you chicken nuggets at 4.15pm and you get access to an indoor swimming pool in case it rains all week.

And holiday parks are big business too. The company which owns Butlins and Haven made £160m profit recently. In 2015 Parkdean Resorts merged with Park Resorts (owner of four Isle of Wight parks) to create a "£1bn company" (The Guardian). The big parks regularly invest in upgrades which must help the local economy too.

I'd be delighted if a big holiday park company decided to buy up the Harcourt Sands site. Haven - for example - has no presence on the Isle of Wight, many of their sites are right by the sea and they are still opening new parks (Thornwick Bay in Yorkshire opened in 2016).

Sure, there's probably more money in housing but is anyone on YouTube going to make heartfelt tribute videos about a housing estate? 
16 Comments
Sarah
4/8/2018 07:24:36 pm

I really hope a big developer like park resorts take over as we went here on holiday every year.
We loved coming over to the isle of wight

Reply
rob mapley
9/7/2019 10:19:46 pm

Hi I live on the Isle of Wight it is an i saw for the island it's a I'm not a business man I wud buy and put it bk to it's glory

Reply
Jack
13/4/2020 06:12:42 pm

I've been here exploring plenty times. Creepy place. A few junkies I saw like not gunna lie

Ann
6/5/2021 06:06:17 pm

I am a paranormal investifator
As thus park is suppised to be creepy I would love to investigate it ...without breaking the law

Amanda Bennett
21/4/2022 06:50:40 pm

I have never seen "eye sore" spelled "I saw" before haha 😄

Hayley Aldridge
14/5/2021 06:45:18 pm

Those smaller rooms were staff accommodation

Reply
Theresa
20/9/2018 09:42:15 pm

Love this spot so many happy days spent here . I hope some houses are built so that I can retire there

Reply
Wendy
27/9/2018 08:29:33 am

I spents years there as a youngster. You could buy a weekly pass if you lived in the area, also had my first job there at 15 as a chalet maid over an Easter period. That was when it was 2 parks I worked in St Clairs. A few years later we went to several gig nights when they had entertainers on and weekend events and following from that my kids used to go there with school to use the basketball courts, badminton, trampolenes and pool.
It was an asset to the locality. So sad to see it just left rotting.

Reply
Mike Follows
11/10/2018 10:10:44 pm

I remember a wonderful holiday with great affection at Chalet St. Clare in summer 1957, when I was 12. Puckpool was completely seperate then, although owned by Warners, I seem to remember we weren't encouraged to go there, can't remember why. We managed two weeks, which was a new experience for my family. Maybe 'rose tinted specs', but I don't remember any rain. In fact my sister and I both got sunburnt and she ended up with a touch of sunstroke. We always had holiday camp holidays, many of them Warners. Seaton, Corton Hayling Island, Braclesham Bay, Littlestone etc. IOW was a real adventure because of the ferry crossing. The two of us used to be left in the chalet after about 8.30pm, so Mum & Dad could go dancing. The chalets used to be 'patrolled' by wardens then. A white handkerchief was tied on the door knob to show them that children were alone in the chalet. Can you imagine that happening now!! One of my favourite adventures was walking along the lower promenade into Ryde to watch the steam trains and boats coming and going from the pier. Sadly this was our last proper family holiday together. I joined a local YHA group and used to go off cycling all over southern England, even back to the IOW in 1960 which had at least 4 hostels then. Plus Scout camp, CCF camp and learning to sail. Sorry to 'go on'. Happy days

Reply
Isle of Wight Guru
12/10/2018 09:09:59 am

Thanks Mike, love the handkerchief story!

Reply
kevin fishlock
11/5/2019 11:56:16 am

do we no who Owens this land now I look to talk them
regards kev

Reply
Sandra Wilkinson
3/11/2020 06:40:00 pm

I worked at St Claire’s in 1978, age 18, as a waitress. It was hard work but loved it there and made lots of friends among the staff. We had great fun after working hours. Chris and Mike were in charge of the Canteen and we were good friends. Still miss those times.

Reply
Isle of Wight Guru
4/11/2020 01:17:56 am

Thanks Sandra, must be very sad seeing it in its current state!

Reply
Gary booker
19/4/2022 11:12:41 pm

I just wanted to tell Wendy I worked at St clare's the Sam time she did I was head chef for about 4 years loved it

Reply
Lucu
2/4/2022 10:26:19 am

Hello I sadly did not have such a pleasant memory of st Clare as sadly my older brother drowned in the open air pool in June 1968, it was a Sunday so his first day of holiday. I idolised him, and have felt a great loss to this very day. Anyone there at this time ( I know a long time) but I can’t find any references in local papers etc. X Lucy

Reply
Isle of Wight Guru
2/4/2022 09:40:03 pm

I am so sorry to hear that Lucy, what an awful thing to have happened to your family. There is an Isle of Wight Heritage Group on Facebook which is very active. Perhaps others will have memories of that era? (https://www.facebook.com/groups/426949524045326)

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