On this day in Wembury — 29 December 1967

The Bristol Evening Post carried an advert for Churchwood Holiday Hamlet, promoting self-catering rustic log cabins set on a wooded hillside near the sea. Each cabin was fitted with electricity, water, and a flush WC, and visitors were promised horses and ponies for riding, plus opportunities for sailing and fishing. The advert stressed — in capitals — “This is not a camp,” making clear that there was no bar, ballroom, café, or commercialisation. Instead, it was presented as a quiet retreat and touring base, marketed with a colour brochure available from R. Stansel, Box Nine, Churchwood Estate, Wembury, Plymouth, Devon. This glimpse into late-1960s holiday marketing reflects the shift towards self-catering seaside breaks, especially in South Devon, aimed at city families seeking peace and simplicity rather than the bustle of traditional resorts. The fact that it appeared in a Bristol newspaper mirrors earlier Wembury and Heybrook Bay property adverts, targeting urban readers with growing car ownership and a taste for independent coastal holidays.

(Source: Bristol Evening Post, 29 December 1967)