As part of the move of our Shop and Studio up to Maker Heights, which is happening this August, I thought you might be interested to know a bit more about the history of Maker Camp which celebrates its centenary this year (1923–2023).
In 1976, I was one of the children who stayed at Maker with my classmates, as did so many other school children in Plymouth that hot summer. It was the first time I had been away from home and my time at Maker made a real impression on me. My memories are of metal beds in long rows in dormitories, wool blankets, rounders matches, the walk down to the beach at Kingsand and the sense of freedom — things that I know countless other children like me really valued and have never forgotten.
This blog was written by Cathy Green from the Rame Conservation Trust, the charity responsible for protecting and promoting the heritage assets at Maker for public benefit.
Major Milestone
2023 marks a major milestone for Maker Camp which has connected children to nature for a hundred years. To mark the centenary, a short film telling the fascinating history of the camp was commissioned by Rame Conservation Trust and Maker Memories, an award-winning community archive project. The film premiered at Maker Heights on 19th July 2023.
Many Cornwall and Devon residents have fond memories of visits to Maker Camp during their school days in the 1960s and 1970s. Recollections include eating a delicious home-cooked meal in a canteen on the Parade Ground, eagerly waiting for the tuck shop to open, sleeping in camp beds lined up in rows in an imposing soldiers’ barracks, walking to local beaches in Kingsand and Cawsand, enjoying music and dancing, and participating in sailing, outdoor art classes and nature discovery activities.
Children from other parts of the country also visited. Sue Williams, who accompanied a group of children from Cumbria to Maker Camp in the 1970s, wrote: “Do you know where you were when Elvis died? I know exactly: Maker Camp! On 16th August 1977, we met a colleague who’d been to the canteen for an early breakfast; he told us the sad news that Elvis had died and that one of the servery ladies had been in tears.”
Nancy Astor’s Role at Maker Heights
Yet the history of Maker Camp extends back further. The first organised holiday for children at Maker Heights took place 100 years ago in 1923. Use of the military site was negotiated with the War Office by Lady Nancy Astor, the first female MP to sit in the House of Commons. At the time, Lady and Lord Astor had established the Virginia House Settlement in Plymouth, an early social welfare scheme providing training, education and support for children, young people and adults in a deprived part of the city. Lady Astor believed that enabling children to holiday in the countryside would be beneficial for their health and wellbeing and help build a sense of community and civic pride.
For many children who visited Maker Camp in the 1920s and 1930s, this was their first visit to the countryside, first swim in the sea and first opportunity to connect with nature. In a document held at the Plymouth Archive at The Box, staff of the Virginia House Settlement wrote of: “how often they have heard the children tell, unprompted by anyone, of the wonderful time they had last year at the Holiday Home. It’s like a fairy tale they never weary of dwelling on.”
The site continued to host educational visits and holidays for school children until the 1980s, playing a hugely significant role in introducing children from urban areas to the great outdoors. Today Maker Heights, designated a nationally important heritage site, continues to thrive under the management of the Rame Conservation Trust. Many of the activities available on site today — outdoor art classes, wellbeing activities, dance, live music and good food — resonate with those the early visitors enjoyed, irretrievably linking the threads of the past to the present.
New Film Celebrates First 100 Years
This new film traces the history of the site from 1923 onwards, showcases the current cultural activities and heritage on site, and links the past to the present via themes of connecting people to nature, art, music, health and wellbeing. Watch the film here.
The 19th July premiere was well-attended; 85 people listened to an introductory talk describing how a creative team from RCT and Maker Memories (Lyvinia Elleschild, Cathy Green, Dom Moore and Julian Gray) worked with poet Jason Butler and filmmaker Tom Kirkman to devise the film concept, provide archive material and support the production process.
After the screening, a centenary cake made by MHL Director Fleur Young was cut with the help of Lady Megan Edgcumbe.
The cake carried a centenary logo specially designed to mark 1923–2023 by Maker Heights tenant Andy Knights.
What’s Next?
Activities to celebrate the centenary will continue throughout the year. Keep an eye on the Rame Conservation Trust Facebook page and @makerheights Instagram for news on activities and events.
We’re Joining The Community!
Here at Helen Round we are very excited to be joining the other businesses and creative community of artists, musicians, filmmakers, photographers and a host of other social enterprises — from music educators and foragers to fashion designers.
You can find us right next to The Canteen, which offers locally sourced food and is run by ex-River Cottage Chef Nick Platts. With wonderful views over Plymouth Sound, the Tamar Valley and Dartmoor and Bodmin Moors, we are really looking forward to our move up to Maker Heights.
If you’re in the area, we’d love to see you! Get directions to Helen Round at Maker Heights →
Enjoyed visiting us or shopping with us? We’d be so grateful if you’d leave us a Google review — it makes a real difference to a small independent business.
You can email me or find us on Facebook or Instagram, and sign up to our newsletter for priority access to sales, new products, gift ideas, workshops and events.