Merseyside Holiday Camp
Merseyside Holiday Camp c1920
The Merseyside Children’s Holiday Camp was founded in 1909 by Mr Arthur H. Lee who had a Tapestry Works in Stanley Road, Birkenhead. The factory closed in 1970. The main objective of the camp was to provide holidays for his workers and for poorer children from Birkenhead and district. The first arrivals at the new camp were 100 boys from Merseyside who came there on Friday 9th July 1909. In 1915 the camp was used by some refugees from Belgium - see the Belgian Refugees in Rhyl page for more details. For 75 years the wooden huts of the camp provided holidays for children, until the camp was closed in 1984. The site was occupied by Graig Park Hotel & Country Club, which became Dyserth Falls Resort, and re-opened in 2024 as Marian Resort and Spa.
Merseyside Holiday Camp in 1986, Harry Thomas Collection
From a postcard posted in 1934
The camp was also used for many years by Liverpool City Mission. The video from Liverpool City Mission shows children arriving at the camp and then filling their palliasses with straw to sleep on.
For more photos of the camp see the Merseyside Holiday Camp section in the Gallery of Old Photographs
Merseyside Holiday Camp
Merseyside Holiday Camp c1920
The Merseyside Children’s Holiday Camp was founded in 1909 by Mr Arthur H. Lee who had a Tapestry Works in Stanley Road, Birkenhead. The factory closed in 1970. The main objective of the camp was to provide holidays for his workers and for poorer children from Birkenhead and district. The first arrivals at the new camp were 100 boys from Merseyside who came there on Friday 9th July 1909. In 1915 the camp was used by some refugees from Belgium - see the Belgian Refugees in Rhyl page for more details. For 75 years the wooden huts of the camp provided holidays for children, until the camp was closed in 1984. The site was occupied by Graig Park Hotel & Country Club, which became Dyserth Falls Resort, and re-opened in 2024 as Marian Resort and Spa.
Merseyside Holiday Camp in 1986, Harry Thomas Collection
From a postcard posted in 1934
The camp was also used for many years by Liverpool City Mission. The video from Liverpool City Mission shows children arriving at the camp and then filling their palliasses with straw to sleep on.
For more photos of the camp see the Merseyside Holiday Camp section in the Gallery of Old Photographs