Return to Synopsis

Extract: - A Socialist holiday camp

As the railway expanded in the later 19th century, so did the tourist trade, especially along the east coast. This area became very much the home of the holiday camp. The first appears to have been that set up at Caister in 1906 by Socialists seeking a break from their labours among the poor in London. This was followed by many others, including the 'big two' - Pontin's and Butlin's.

The Poppy Line

Between the wars, chalets and caravan sites began to appear among the sand dunes behind the beach all along the coast. Parts of the north coast were developing too - the resort at Hunstanton was deliberately planned by the local landowners, the L'Estrange family of Hunstanton Hall. The north-east coast was popularised by a Londoner named Clement Scott, who loved Overstrand and coined a new name for this part of Norfolk: 'Poppyland'. The railway came here as well, giving direct access from London and from the Midlands.