The site was opened in 1922 by Colonel Sir Walter Blount as a way of providing work for ex WW1 servicemen. Known as New City it was built on the site of the derelict Norman Thompson Aircraft Factory in Middleton on Sea. It cost £15,000 and could accommodate 300 people.
One of the old aircraft hangers was converted into a dining hall and dance hall whilst other hangers were fitted out with tennis courts and a parking garage for 100 cars. Other facilities included a large modern lounge and bar, billiard tables and squash courts. The camp even had its own amateur dramatic society. Chalet accommodation was provided in bungalows and flats, some of which were built upstairs in the hangars.
Sir Blount was fined £10 in the first season for selling beer without a licence after a police raid uncovered two large casks and several dozen bottles. In 1924 he was fined another £10 for illegally transporting pigs during a foot and mouth outbreak.
A large fire on Christmas Day 1929 destroyed the dining room (and 40 chalets upstairs) and caused damage estimated at £10,000. In 1933 an ex-employee stole the company safe which was later retrieved from his bedroom along with a hacksaw, hammer and knuckle duster. He was sentenced to hard labour.
Later that year Sir Blount sold the camp to the owners of the Carlton Hotel in Bognor Regis. Shortly afterwards a new hotel was built which became the Southdean Hotel and day visitors were admitted to enjoy the sporting facilities. Between 1934 and 1952 it was home to the Southdean Covered Court Tennis Championship which attracted all the big players of the day.
The camp suffered badly during WW2 and was handed back in rough condition. It was rebuilt as Southdean Sports Club and became one of the top sports facilities on the south coast. Indoor facilities included tennis courts, badminton, table tennis, squash courts, indoor lawn bowls, billiards and a large licensed ballroom. Outdoors could be found a further 15 tennis courts, a large swimming pool, 18 hole putting green and even riding stables.
By the late-1950s the site had again fallen into disrepair and was sold in 1957 to Leslie Dean for £70,000. By this time it was trading under the name of Southdean Hotel and Sports Club. The whole site was refurbished and rebuilt to accommodate 440 people with guest rooms located either in the hotel or in chalet blocks in the grounds. It was advertised as “The holiday camp with the hotel atmosphere”.
In 1969 the camp was sold to Liverpool City Caterers for £175,000 and renamed Sussex Coast Country Club. It was marketed under their Mercury Leisure Holidays division.
The takeover era
Liverpool City Caterers later changed their name to Leisure & General Holdings and in 1978 they were bought by Ladbrokes. Their four holiday parks were all rebranded under the Ladbrokes name, including Sussex Coast.
In 1987 Ladbrokes sold all their holiday parks to Mecca Leisure, who owned Warner’s Holiday Camps. So all the former Ladbroke camps were rebranded under the Warner name.
In 1990 Mecca Leisure was bought by Rank Leisure, owner of Butlin’s, Haven and Shearings. The camp was then rebranded yet again, this time as a Shearings resort and renamed Sussex Coast Holiday Village.
Unfortunately the land became too valuable and Southdean closed at the end of 1996. The site was sold to Crest Homes who demolished everything and started work on a new housing development known as Saxon Reach. The first show-homes were ready for inspection in February 1998 with prices starting from £75,000.
