Martin’s Bar & Restaurant Turns 40!
2025 marked a special milestone for Highlands End Holiday Park – 40 years since the Bar & Restaurant opened its doors.
From humble beginnings in the eighties, the venue has grown and evolved into a vital part of both the Holiday Park and the local community. Over four decades, Martin’s has welcomed thousands of holidaymakers, locals and loyal regulars, as well as a few WDLH team members wanting to enjoy a pint together after work! As we look back on the last forty years, we’re taking time to reflect on the journey so far and to celebrate the things that make Martin’s Bar & Restaurant special.
The Building
As Highlands End began its life as a small farm, many of the current buildings used to have very different purposes back in the day. Indeed, the place where Martin’s stands now used to be as a pigsty and a tractor shed! This was then converted to a facility block for campers before being demolished to make space for a brand new purpose-built Bar & Restaurant. Over the years, the building has been extended many times and has grown to become one of the largest hospitality venues in the area, with capacity of up to 350 people.
The most recent major refurbishment in 2017 saw the biggest extensions yet, with the large Merryweather room being constructed to increase indoor dining capacity, and the kitchen doubling in size. The building also saw a complete refit of the bar and redecoration and refurnishing throughout. Prior to this refit, Martin said “I was pleased to serve the last drink over our bar, after serving the first in 1985. The investment into the building this winter will make the bar nearly 10 times larger than it was in 1985 and I am pleased as a family of what we have achieved.”
The Brand
On opening, the building was never formally named, and was known by a number of titles over the years, often being referred to as Highlands End Bar & Restaurant or simply The Clubhouse. As such, it also never really needed its own logo. Fast forward to 2015 and to celebrate 30 years since opening, the family decided they must finally choose a name.
By this point, the venue was home to a vast collection of fire engine memorabilia belonging to Martin Cox, husband of Vanessa, whose parents Ken and Pat purchased Highlands End back in 1971. Having worked as part of the business for over 30 years himself, it seemed logical to name the building Martin’s Bar & Restaurant. The original logo incorporated a fire engine and was later given a sleek redesign.
Below you can see the original advert published in the Dorset Echo in June 1985, announcing the opening of the Bar & Restaurant, alongside what the equivalent ad might look like today. It’s hard to imagine having to send a stamped, addressed envelope to a business in order for them to send you information, when we’re so used to just checking websites nowadays! It’s also interesting to note the phone numbers, which are missing two digits compared to modern day numbers. Highlands End is still a member of the Best Of British organisation, and West Dorset Leisure Holidays has grown to become a successful Group of 6 Holiday Parks.
The Fire Engines
We couldn’t write a blog post about The Bar without mentioning the fire engines that make it so iconic! The collection of engines and memorabilia on display has been built up over many decades by Martin himself, who served for many years as a Retained Leading Firefighter with the Dorset Fire and Rescue Service. Over the years, the collection has grown so much that it has become one of the largest private collections in the country and a destination for enthusiasts.
Pride of place goes to the two engines on display, Barkis and Merryweather. Barkis is a 1936 Leyland Pump Escape fire engine that operated in Weymouth and Bridport before finding its home here in 1990. Merryweather is a 1902 Horse-drawn Steam Engine which also served in Bridport before coming to Highlands End in 2003, when an extension to the bar was built to house it. Martin’s Bar is also home to a vast collection of helmets, hoses, axes, badges and all sorts of other memorabilia, and the 2017 refurbishment allowed for much more eye-catching displays to be built.
The Food & Drink
For the first few years of its life, the Bar didn’t serve food and was purely a drinking venue. Nowadays, feel good food is what we’re all about, and we’ve always strived to use the best quality, local produce. We have a long-standing relationship with Frampton’s butchers in Bridport, dating back to the earliest menus we can find! Promoting and supporting local producers has always been important to us and we’re currently working very closely with a number of very local businesses including a free-range farm in Symmondsbury and a number of drink suppliers including Palmers Brewery, Black Cow Vodka and Hall & Woodhouse to name just a few.
Our Sunday Roast On The Coast Carvery has grown to become one of the biggest in the area, and is so popular that it’s regularly sold out. Our Tuesday Curry Night (returning in February 2026) is a more recent addition to our weekly schedule, having been introduced in 2022, and has also proven itself to be a favourite amongst locals and holidaymakers.
Over the years, we’ve certainly noticed a shift in drink preferences. Instead of serving almost everyone either a Panda Pop or traditional ale, today’s drinkers lean towards wine, cocktails or artisan spirits. Thankfully, our daily happy hours incude a range of drinks, so there’s value to be had, whatever your preferred tipple!
The Community
As one of only a handful of venues of its size in the area, Martin’s Bar & Restaurant has become a hub for community events over the years. Thankfully we no longer need to roll up the carpet to reveal the dancefloor every time there’s live music or events, as the venue plays host to a number of local bands and artists throughout the year. Other events include children’s parties and discos, as well as things like conferences, meetings, fundraisers, presentations, award ceremonies, and even weddings and wakes. Due to the large capacity of the Merryweather room, we’ve also become a leading venue for Christmas parties, with large groups of colleagues, friends and families choosing to celebrate with us before the big day.
When the Eype Maker’s Market outgrew the local church, Martin’s stepped in to become the new host venue, allowing the market to grow and accommodate more stalls, as well as raise more money for charity. The event now raises thousands each year for Julia’s House Children’s Hospice.
The Pool
In 1988, the swimming pool building was built, with the sauna and steam room extension being added in the mid 90’s. Construction of the building involved state-of-the-art wooden beams being brought in from Scandinavia, creating the cosy spa-like feel that our members love. Without another indoor swimming pool in Bridport at the time, the construction of the pool at Highlands End meant that Bridport Swimming Club no longer had to travel 45 minutes to Yeovil in order to swim. Originally the pool was just for use by guests staying on the Park, however that was later changed to allow local people to become members if they wished, and Highlands End Leisure Club was born.
Today, the Leisure Club has over 600 local members, a thriving Swim School and partnerships with a number of other clubs and businesses in the area. We’re looking forward to a refurbishment this winter, with technical pool repairs as well as a brand new (and bigger) sauna and steam room being fitted. We’re also planning a few exciting new additions to our swim timetable, so keep your eyes peeled.
The Play Areas
The original outdoor play area is clearly made of sturdy stuff, as it has survived being moved twice, with parts of it still in use today! First it was moved from its original location when the swimming pool was built to where the beer garden is now, and parts have since moved down to the play area at the bottom of the Park.
The Soft Play
After deciding that the small gym section of Highlands End Leisure Club wasn’t the best use of the space, in 2018 we took the plunge and replaced it with a soft play area. Of course, we didn’t have to think too hard to come up with a theme, so The Little Fire Station Soft Play was born! 70 square metres of soft play, suitable for children up to 6 years old, this has proved a fantastic addition to Martin’s Bar and we’re sure the community of families who use it regularly couldn’t agree more. It’s a great opportunity for local parents to catch up with each other, over a Costa Coffee and a cake.
The Pandemic
2020 brought with it a whole new challenge for hospitality businesses – the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout this challenging time and into 2021, Martin’s had to follow ever-changing guidelines and advice, doing our best to keep our customers and our Team safe and even closing completely when we had to. We introduced all sort of new measures, like one-way systems, protective screens, masks, online ordering and more. We also trialled hot desking for those frustrated with working from home, and joined the Eat Out To Help Out scheme.
Looking back now, it seems so surreal, that at times it’s hard to believe it actually happened!
The Environment
Being so close to the coast and also benefitting from the beautiful countryside around us, we’re keen to ensure that we help to protect the environment. Over the years, Martin’s Bar & Restaurant has introduced a number of measures and procedures to minimise any negative impact. Here’s just some of the things the Bar are doing:
- Serving all takeaways in fully recyclable packaging
- Only supplying paper straws, never plastic
- Using solar energy generated from panels on the roof
- Providing electric vehicle chargers for visitors
- Collecting used cooking oil to be made into bio fuel
- Getting as many of our ingredients locally as we can
- Using waterless urinals in the men’s toilets
Across the whole Park, there’s even more going on, including:
- Planting thousands of trees/plants each winter
- Creating bug hotels, bird hides and wildlife areas
- Encouraging our guests to explore our Nature Trail
- Using air source heat pumps to power the swimming pool
- Only purchasing electric vehicles and equipment
- Reducing the amount of printed material we produce
- Encouraging our guests to recycle their waste
- Donating excess food from the SPAR store to a local food bank
- Fundraising for coastal environmental projects LINK TO BLOG
And so much more…
The Awards
Highlands End has built up a reputation as one of the best Holiday Parks in Dorset and across the South West, and it’s partly due to the range of facilities available on-park. Having a bar & restaurant on the Park is important to many of our guests and our Holiday Home Owners, and it’s only right that the venue lives up to our guests’ expectations. Martin’s first entered the Taste Of The West Award scheme in 2019 and achieved Gold, replicating this achievement many times since then, and being described as a ‘great restaurant with excellent facilities for families, lots of choice of food and excellent local sourcing commitment’. The venue also plays a key part in our achievements as a whole Park, helping us achieve Gold at the Dorset Tourism Awards on our first time of entering back in 2013, and again on lots of occasions since.
As we've expanded and grown over the years, we've added more elements to our business and what we can offer. Here's a full list of everything you can expect at Martin's Bar & Restaurant today...
Locally Sourced Food
Loyalty Card Discounts
Sunday Carvery
Weekly Curry Night
Themed Special Menus
Daily Happy Hours
Cocktails and Wine
Fire Service Displays
Plus, you'll find all these other facilities nearby on the Park.
Swimming Pool
Sauna & Steam Room
Foot Golf Course
SPAR Convenience Store
Farm Animals
Nature Trail and 3 Peaks Challenge Walk
Defibrillator
Dog Shower
What's coming in 2026?
We are working on a small refurb in January and February – look out for an increased range of board/bar games and a refresh of our drink suppliers. We’ll also be defining areas of the venue a bit more, offering a sports bar area, as well as a more traditional dining area in the Merryweather room with table service. Plus, breakfast/brunch will be making its long anticipated return! We’re currently compiling a year long schedule of events and live music and are extremely excited to announce that local cocktail experts Dark Bear will be joining us in the beer garden at peak times!
For more information on some of our other facilities, see the links below.
Highlands End Leisure Club
Dorset Foot Golf
Little Fire Station Soft Play
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