Reverend Urijah R. Thomas founded the Penny Dinner Society.

Name changed to the Bristol Children’s Help Society. 400 pairs of shoes distributed, 23000 free breakfasts served to children.

First camp at Barton at West End Farm.

First Barton Camp building opened at a cost of £542. In Bristol 73,880 Half-penny dinners and 57,954 free breakfasts served.

Urijah Thomas dies. Bristol schools closed for the funeral. 6,000 children lined the streets.

Jubilee Year, Duchess of Beaufort opens the Swimming Pool.

Camp closed, for 6 years, for use by London evacuees.

Frankie Howerd, OBE, laid foundation stone of the new Dining Hall.

New Barton Camp opened by Lord Mayor of Bristol. Centenary celebrations and reunion of old campers. Avon school children raise £52,000 towards Centenary Trust Fund.

Lord Mayor of Bristol and the Lord Lieutenant of the City and County of Bristol unveil a plaque to record the completion of new buildings and swimming pool.

Open day. Barton veterans who first visited us as long ago as the 1920's and had some wonderful stories to tell.

Harvey Centre opens with improved facilities and capacity for up to 34 children and their carers.

Barton Camp History

Our Camp is no Neolithic settlement, but for well over a century it has been providing children with fun and fresh air holidays. From the original collection of corrugated iron buildings it has been progressively extended and improved to provide the excellent facilities that you can enjoy today.

Barton Children’s Centre is run by a small group of unpaid volunteers whose enthusiastic efforts over the years, have ensured its continuing success by keeping admin costs to an absolute minimum.

Currently about 1500 children come here each year to benefit from the very special experience that our splendid facilities offer. Building development projects currently in hand will enable us to increase capacity to 3500 by 2010.