Daneswood Sanatorium, Woburn Sands. Founded 1902 22 beds (free)
For Jewish consumptives only
Luton Children's Sick and Convalescent Home
St Lukes Home for Sick Children
Founded 1896 in Cobblers City, Woodley. Moved 1906 to Headley Road, Woodley, Reading.
Mainly for London children.
Closed 1936
Paddington Green Children's Hospital Convalescent Home, Fair View, Slough.
In the early 1900s, this location replaced the earlier home at Harrow.
20 beds
London Open Air Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Pinewoods, Ninemile Ride, Wokingham. Founded 1901 60 beds (pictured below)
Children's Convalescent Home, Beaconsfield
Jews' Convalescent Home For Children, Norley, Frodsham
St Hilary School. Wallasey (an open air treatment boarding school for children with TB)
The Children's Convalescent Home
Little Meolse, Cheshire
Cumberland Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Blencathra. Founded 1904. 20 beds (free)
Skiddaw Convalescent Home for Children, Applethwaite nr Keswick (late 19th century)
Sheffield Poor Children's Holiday Convalescent Home, Holmesfield
Free Convalescent Home for Children, Buxton
(opened early 1900s?)
Broomhayes Manor Convalescent Home
Heathercomb Brake, Dartmoor – linked to Dagenham
Lynton Children's Convalescent Home
for non-infectious children aged 4 to 12
(below a mock-up of an advert that appeared in the North Devon Journal 1929)
Webbery Manor Convalescent Home
Westward Ho! Convalescent Home
Dartmoor Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Chagford. Founded 1903 20 beds (pictured below)
Devon and Cornwall Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Didsworthy. Founded 1903 16 beds (free)
Tidwell House Convalescent Home for Children, Budleigh Salterton (1950s)
Dunstone Park Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Marldon Hill, Paignton. Founded 1900 10 beds
Western Hospital for Incipient Consumptives, Torquay. Founded 1850 40 beds
Mildmay Convalescent Home, Torquay. Founded 1886 10 beds
Alderney Manor Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Parkstone. Founded 1900 28 beds
Highcliffe Castle Convalescent Home, Dorset
Sunday School Union Children's Convalescent Home, Carlton Road, Bournemout
Bellevue Sanatorium for tuberculosis (pictured below), Shotley Bridge. Founded 1899 20 beds (fee payable)
Durham County Sanatorium for tuberculosis (pictured below), Stanhope. Founded 1899 213 beds (free)
Children's Convalescent Home, Hornsea
Hull and East Riding Convalescent Home (primarily TB), Withernsea. Founded 1900 28 beds
Convalescent Home for Children, Southburn, Driffield
Opened 1925, Closed 1932
Little Folks Home, Little Common, Bexhill on Sea. Children were sent from the Queen's Hospital, Hackney Road, Bethnal Green for up to 50 days' convalescence from 1911 to 1974.
Haldane (or Haldene?) House, Cooden Drive, Bexhill on Sea - for seriously and terminally ill children.
St John's Convalescent Home for Children, Brighton
(based at 10-12 College Rd since 1874, moved in late 1880s to near Sussex County Hospital)
Braemar Childrens Home, De-La-Warr Road, Bexhill on Sea
Collington Manor Home, Collington Lane East and Walton Park Road, Bexhill on Sea (largely for children with TB sent from London hospitals)
Eversfield Hospital for tuberculosis, St Leonard’s on Sea. Founded 1884 55 beds
The Winter Home for Consumptive Girls, St Leonards
Convalescent House for Children
Hastings, Sussex
St Leonard's Convalescent Home for Poor Children, West Hill, Hastings (pictured below)
For poor London children.
1869 - opened on Stanhope Place (12 beds)
1871 - moved to 43 Western Road
1882 - opened on West Hill
Functioning until at least 1946
About Children's
Convalescent Homes
Children's institutions did not just take the form of permanent residential homes. Some homes were established to send children to convalesce after an illness.
The children may have been from children's homes, they may have come straight out of hospital. Generally, in the case of the latter, parents would have had to pay a fee for their children to stay there.
Convalescent homes were generally situated by the sea as the Victorians put great store by the health benefits of fresh sea air.
Some poor law unions, and later councils, had homes to be used specifically for holidays for children. These were generally also by the sea - for entertainment rather than health reasons.
Birmingham City Council, for example, bought a house in Towyn in North Wales for holidays for the children in its children's homes. The home purchse was paid for with a bequest from an individual in 1935. It was called Martineau House. In the 1950s, the home moved to Bognor Regis and use was restricted to childen with disabilities. The home was sold in the late 1980s [source].
There are some crossovers between convalescent homes and open air schools so take a look at our Open Air Schools Directory too.
Shoeburyness Sunshine Homes ( open in the 1920s)
Childhaven, near Brentwood
Greenwoods, near Stock
Maldon Sanatorium for tuberculosis 12 beds
Thorneycroft, Clacton on Sea -private boarding house for convalescent consumptives
Cotswold Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Birdlip. Founded 1898 40 beds (pictured below)
Painswick Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Painswick. Founded 1900 12 beds
Manchester Hospital for Consumption, Bowdon. Founded 1875 (50 beds)
Farnborough Convalescent Home
National Sanatorium for Consumption, Bournemouth. Founded 1855 70 beds (closed in the summer because it was thought it would be too hot)
Overton Hall, Bournemouth. Founded 1898 10 beds (home for consumptives)
Firs Home, Bournemouth 20 beds (home for consumptives)
Children's Convalescent Home, Lyndhurst
linked to Belgrave Hospital (1940s)
Hahnemann Home, Bournemouth (70 beds) (home for consumptives)
Linford Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Ringwood. Founded 1899 (pictured below)
St Joseph’s, Bournemouth - Roman Catholic home for consumptives
Convalescent Home for Children, 8 Carlton Road, Bournemouth
Unsectarian.
Also known as The House Beautiful.
Early 20th century.
Moorcote Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Eversley. Founded 1899 20 beds
'Carlyle', the Southsea Convalescent Home for Children, 33 Auckland Road East, Portsmouth
(founded late 1800s)
Convalescent Hospital For Children
Aldenham, Watford
Hertfordshire Convalescent Home, St Leonards on Sea
St Helen's Toddlers Convalescent Home (became St Helen's Children's Home).Independent but associated with West Ham. Closed 1967
The Sanatorium, Harpenden (pictured below)
Finding out about
convalescent homes
Records about convalescent homes for children are proving time and time again to be difficult to find. The first problem is identifying them as their names are often difficult to recall and as children were there often for only a relatively short time, memories about where the homes were are often hazy. The second is that records simply don’t seem to exist. Most convalescent homes were relatively independent – run by individual philanthropists, the local church or a local charity perhaps – and there was no legal requirement to archive their records and no clear path for this preservation and archiving to take place. Those that were run by hospitals, for example, or the larger charities may have had better processes for this. Additionally, it is not always easy to differentiate between convalescent homes for children and those for adults. And some may have accommodated both.
Because of this theme of frustration, and because so many convalscent homes were based in south east England, we are putting together this page in the hope that it offers some clues for people in their searches. If you have anything to add, please please get in touch.
Cowes Convalescent Home for Children
Gurnard, Isle of Wight
Royal National Hospital for Consumption (pictured below), Undercliff, Ventnor. Founded 1869 (150 beds)
St Catherine’s Home, Ventnor. Founded 1879 12 beds (home for consumptives)
Barnardos: Home for Incurable Children, Agra Mansions, Tunbridge Wells
Batesholme Children’s Convalescent Homes, Herne Bay
Benenden Convalescent Home, Tunbridge Wells
Birds Nest & Grange House, Convalescent Home for Children, 41 Brunswick Square, Herne Bay
Boys’ Convalescence Home, 27 La Belle Alliance Square, Ramsgate
Clevedon House Children’s Convalescent Home
Convalescent Home of the Infant Orphan Asylum, Wansted House, East Esplanade, Margate
Hawkenbury Convalescent Home, Tunbridge Wells
Holy Cross Convalescent Home for Children, Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs
Kettlewell Home, Swanley, Kent – linked to St Bart’s Hospital
The Lanthorne Home for Children, Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs (1948 - 1970)
From 1895, known as the Metropolitan Convalescent Home for children
Laleham Convalescent Home (aka Leylam), Cliftonville, Margate
Margate Convalescent Home, Broadstairs
St Peter's Orphan & Convalescent Home
The Metropolitan Convalescent Home, Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs. (1896 - 1947)
Changed its name to the Lanthorne Convalescent Home in 1947
The Muller Convalescent Home for Jewish children, Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs. (see also our page on the Muller Orphanage)
Royal Sea Bathing Infirmary, Margate. Founded 1791 16 beds - for patients suffering from TB ailments requiring sea air or bathing
St Anne's convalescent Home, Station Rd or St George's Terrace, Herne Bay
Crole Wyndham Memorial Home, Seavew Road, Herne Bay
for children of Kent and Canterbury Hospital
(in former St Hilda's School for Girls building)
St David’s Home, Stone Road, Broadstairs
St Mary’s Convalescent Home for children of the very poor, Stone Road, Broadstairs (1887 - 1983) (pictured below)
St Peter’s Orphan and Convalescent Home, Broadstairs
Staplehurst Convalescent Home, Cranbrook
Tait Homes for Girls, Broadstairs
Victoria Hospital Convalescent Home, Broadstairs
Victoria Hospital Convalescent Home, Margate
Warburton House, Clintonville
Yarrow Convalescent Home, Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs
Bradford Cinderella Holiday Home, Lancaster
Grundy Convalescent Home for Children, Blackpool (1920s/30s)
Delamare Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Birch Hill (90 beds)
County Hospital for Chronic Diseases of Children, Heswall
Thursby Convalescent Home for poor Children of, Burnley and District. Clifton Drive North, St Annes on the Sea.
Opened 1903-1905
Craig Convalescent Home for Children, Morecambe.
Opened 1903 - link to Bradford Infirmary
24 beds
Ormerod Convalescent Home, Todmorden Road, St Anne's on Sea (Lytham St Anne's)
Opened in 1891 as The Abraham Ormerod Convalescent Home for Children. Closed 1970.
Roecliffe Manor Convalescent Home for Children, Woodhouse Eaves (near Swithland Woods), Loughborough. Opened 1930, closed 1972.
Leicester Children's Holiday Home, Mablethorpe
Children's Convalescent Home, Norbiton (150 children, 19th century)
Children's Convalescent Home, Cromwell House, Highgate
Convalescent Home for Children, Shrewsbury Lane, Shooters Hill
Duchess Of Kent Children's Rest Convalescent Home Twickenham
Possibly an alternative name for:
Childrens Rest, Cambridge Park, Twickenham
Convalescent home for poor children in the 1930s
The Grange Convalescent Home, Harold Wood
Hospital for Sick Children’s convalescent home, Cromwell House, Highgate
Metropolitan Children's Convalescent Home, Kingston upon Thames
Mrs Hampson's Memorial Home, Tollington Park
Winifred House Invalid Children's Convalescent Home, Barnet (1886 – 1972)
Royal Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, City Road. Founded 1814 80 beds
Brompton Hospital for Consumptives, Fulham Road. Founded 1841 (300 beds)
City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, Victoria Park. Founded 1848), 164 beds
Mount Vernon Hospital for Consumptives, Hampstead. Founded 1860 120 beds)
Mount Vernon Country Branch Hospital for Consumptives Betchworth Heath, Northwoods. Founded 1904 112 beds
Infirmary for Consumption, Margaret Street
Home for Consumptive Females, Paddington 26 beds
St Peter’s Home for Consumptives, Kilburn 80 beds
Friedenheim Home for Consumptives, Hampstead 44 beds
St Luke’s House- Home for Consumptives- NW
Free Home for the Dying, Clapham
Paddington Green Children's Hospital Convalescent Home, Wealdstone, Harrow
13 beds
(Late 19th/very early 20th century)
Relocated to Slough c1905
Liverpool Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Roughhill, Kingswood. Founded 1901,40beds (fee payable)
Liverpool Hospital for Consumption, Liverpool. Founded 1864, 44 beds
Liverpool Parochial Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Heswall. Founded 1902,24 beds (free)
[built by the Liverpool Poor Law Unions for workhouse residents)
Railway Convalescent Home, Leasowe (took in children as well as adults)
Convaleswcent Home for Children, Great Crosby
16 beds
(possible a Nazareth House?)
West Kirby Convalescent Home, Wirral (pictured below) memories
TRANSFER TO A CONVALESCENT HOME
We have been sent a remarkable document from Patrick. Dated 24th October 1947, it is a letter informing his mother that he is to be moved from Hospital to Victoria Convalescent Home in Broadstairs.
London County Council
The County Hall
Westminster Bridge SE1
24th October 1947
Dear Sir/Madam
Will you kindly note that it is proposed to transfer Patrick N from Evelina Hospital for Children to Victoria Convalescent Home, Broadstairs on Thursday 30th October.
All necessary arrangements will be made by the Council.
It should be understood that your child is not being sent away for any definite period. The duration of treatment will be determined by the Council after consideration of progress reports by the Medical Superintendent.
It is hoped that you will agree to this arrangement.
Treatment is provided free of charge but voluntary contributions will be accepted from those who feel they would like to make a payment and can afford to do so.
Yours faithfully
Allen Daley
Medical Officer of Health
NORFOLK
Children's Convalescent Home, Hunstanton (pictured below)
Eastern Counties Children's Convalescent Home
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (alt. name for the home below?)
Children's Convalescent Home, Marine Parade, Yarmouth
Founded 1884
Mundesley Sanatorium for tuberculosis (pictured below), Mundesley. Founded 1899 31 beds
Kelling Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Holt nr Cromer. Founded 1903 42 beds (free)
The Beeches, Long Stratton. Founded 1901 7 beds (home for consumptives)
Stannington Sanatorium: opened (1902)
Northumberland Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Barrasford (50 beds)
The Ethel Watson Convalescent Home for Children, Whitton Tower, Rothbury, Northumberland.
Open in 1937 by Newcastle City Council.
22 beds for children aged 5-15 years old
Closed 1983
Greycourt Convalescent Home for Children, Riding Mill nr Hexham
(large fire in 1940 - possibly causing the home to close)
Westmorland Sanatorium for tuberculosis (pictured below). Founded 1900 (28 beds) (free) Converted from a pre-existing convalescent home)
Rotherham Children's Convalescent Home, Primrose Valley, Filey
27 children
For Rotherham children
Scarborough Convalescent Home for Children (1930s)
Nottinghamshire Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Mansfield. Founded 1902, 30 beds (free)
Nottinghamshire Board of Guardians Sanatorium for pauper consumptives
Hailey Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Ipsden, Wallingford. Founded 1900 30 beds (pictured below)
Kingwood Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Peppard Common. Founded 1900 12 beds
Maitland Cottage Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Peppard. Founded 1901 16 beds
Children's Convalescent Home Wellington
Nordrach-upon-Mendip, Mendip Hills. Founded 1899 40 beds (home for consumptives)
Mendip Hill Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Mendip Hills. Founded 1900 20 beds
Luftkur Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Portbury. Founded 1904
Engel Home, Cheddar (home for consumptives)
St Michael’s Home for consumptives, Axbridge (40 beds) (free apart from the cost of a sputum flask and a guarantee of funeral expenses should the patient die)
Weston Super Mare Convalescent Home for Children
Primarily for children coming out of Bristol Royal Children's Hospital
Clifton Road
14 beds for 'delicate children'
Opened 1894
(pictured below)
POSTCARD HOME
This postcard was sent from the Suffolk Convalescent Home by Billy to a district nurse in Broomfield, maybe the nurse who was caring for him before he was sent away.
The note reads:
Dear Nurse, I am having a nice time down here and go out every day. I have seen lots of big ships. Yours faithfully, Billy
New Text Area
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The Godfrey Walker COnvalescent Home for Children, Conisborough, Sheffield.
opened 1911.
Hanchurch Holiday Home, Stoke on Trent
Children's 'wing' of convalescent home, Felixstowe (pictured below)
East Anglian Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Nayland. Founded 1900 60 beds (pictured below)
Children's Convalescent Home
Croydon Surrey
Coombe Cliff Convalescent Home for Children, Coommbe Road, Croydon.
Opened 1930
Children's Convalescent Home for Surrey, Bognor Regis (1897 – 1948) (pictured below)
Coombe Cliff Convalescent Home for Children, Croydon
Hornsea Convalescent Home for Children (1902 – 1970)
Little Folks school, Rackstraw, Camberley
Crooksbury Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Farnham. Founded 1900 24 beds (pictured below)
Whitmead Hill Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Tilford. Founded 1899 20 beds
Heatherside, Camberley. Founded 1904 100beds (free) (linked to Brompton Hospital for Consumption)
Metropolitan Convalescent Institution Childrens Branch, Kingston, Surrey
Ockley Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Ockley. Founded 1903 12beds
Woodhurst Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Dorking. Founded 1902 16 beds
Limpsfield Convalescent Home for Children.
Opened 1896
For children in Charing Cross Hospital
Craig-y-nos TB Sanatorium, Brecon Beacons: opened 1922
Martineau House, Towyn
The Miners' Convalescent Home, Rhyl
Morfa Hall Women’s Convalescent Home, Rhyl
Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and Convalescent Home, Rhyl
Stoke on Trent Convalescent Home, Rhyl
Byrn Marle Convalsecent Home for Children, Llanrhos
Took in Birmingham children
Pendyffryn Hall, Penmaemawr (pictured below). Founded 1900 21 beds (home for consumptives)
Vale of Clwyd Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Ruthin. Founded 1901 19 beds
Evans' Convalescent Home for Children, Manor Road, Solihull
Opened 1882
Wassell Grove Convalescent Home, Birmingham
Red House Convalescent Home for Children, Great Barr, Birmingham
50 beds.
Opened 1902 for Birmingham poor children.
Previously the children had been sent to Byrn Marle Convalescent Home for Children, Llanrhos
Former Paybody Hospital
© Copyright E Gammie and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Paybody Hospital Convalescent Home for Crippled Children, Allesley, Coventry
(The building has had many uses but was a convalescent home in the 1940s)
Arrowfield Top Convalescent Home for Children, Alvechurch
1872-1891 - for Birmingham children
Moseley Hall Convalescent Home for Children
Alcester Road, Birmingham
Opened 1892 to replace Arrowfield Top
150 beds.
Building became Moseley Hall Hospital
Children's Convalescent Home for Surrey, Bognor Regis
Littlehampton Convalescent Home
Martineau House, Bognor Regis
King Edward VII Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Eastbourne Hill, Midhurst 200 beds
Rudgwick Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Rudgwick. Founded 1900 14 beds
Richmond House Convalescent Home, Worthing (linked to the Infirmary for Consumption and Diseases of the Throat and Chest, Margate Street, London).
Dedisham Convalescent Home for Children and Convalescent Nursery School Slinfold (1940s)
Fairthorn Convalescent Home, Sheffield
Bradford Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Meathop. Founded 1903 52 beds (free)
Bermerside Convalescent Home, Halifax
30 beds
Bradford Union Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Eastby
Leeds Hospital for Consumption, Armley Hall, Gott’s Park. Founded 1903 20 beds (free)
Leeds Sanatorium for Consumptives, Gateforth Hall, Hambleton. Founded 1901 32 beds (free)
Heatherdene Convalescent Home, Lancaster Park, Harrogate
Adults and children from Royal Infirmary and Children's Hospital, Sunderland
Opened 1892
Loxley House Convalescence Home for Children, Leeds
For Sheffield children
Opened 1923. Closed 1941
Meanwood Children's Convalescent Home, Hyde Park, Leeds (pictured below)
Royal Victoria Memorial Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Winsley. Founded 1904 (60 beds)
Midland Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Bourne Castle, Belbroughton. Founded 1901 20 beds
Worcestershire Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Knightwick. Founded 1902 16 beds (free)
Worcester Road, Droitwich – probably called Oaklands
Ayrshire, Ashmark
Banchory Sanatorium for tuberculosis. Founded 1900
Bellefield Sanatorium, Lanark. Founded 1904
Bridge of Weir Sanatorium for tuberculosis. Founded 1898
Caverhill Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Peebles. Founded 1904
Grampian Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Kingussie. Founded 1901
Hillside Home Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Milnathort. Founded 1902
Ochil Hill Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Milnathort. Founded 1902
Paisley Sanatorium for tuberculosis
Royal Victoria Hospital for Consumption, Craigleith. Founded 1894
Sidlaw Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Auchterhouse. Founded 1903
Woodburn Sanatorium for tuberculosis, Morningside. Founded 1899
Do you have memories of being in a convalescent home?
Do you know of convalescent homes that are not listed here?
NOT FOUND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?
This children's convalescent homes directory is a new venture, and sadly there are some counties I as yet don't have any information about. If you know of homes that are not listed, or are looking for infomation about homes in a particular county, please let me know. Thank you.
hello@formerchildrenshomes.org.uk
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