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.

 ESSEX 

Shoeburyness Sunshine Homes ( open in the  1920s)

Childhaven, near Brentwood

Greenwoods, near Stock

 GLOUCESTERSHIRE 

 GREATER MANCHESTER 

 HAMPSHIRE 

 Farnborough Convalescent Home

 HEREFORDSHIRE 

 HERTFORDSHIRE 

Hertfordshire Convalescent Home, St Leonards on Sea

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.

 KENT 

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 Convalescnt Home, Tunbridge Wells

Holy Cross, Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs

Kettlewell Home, Swanley, Kent – linked to St Bart’s Hospital

The Lanthorne Home for Children, Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs (1948 - 1970)

Leylam Convalescent Home, Cliftonville, Margate

Margate  Convalescent Home, Broadstairs

The Metropolitan Convalescent Home, Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs.  (1896 - 1947)

The Muller Convalescent Home for Jewish children, Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs. (see also our page on the Muller Orphanage)

North Surrey District Schools Convalescent Home, Marlborough House, Annerley, Granville Road, Broadstairs

St Anne's convalescent Home, Station Rd or St George's Terrace, Herne Bay

St David’s Home, Stone Road, Broadstairs

St Mary’s Convalescent Home, Stone Road, Broadstairs (1887 - 1983) (pictured below)

St Peter’s Orphan and Convalescent Home, Broadstairs

Staplehurst Convalescent Home, Cranbrook

Victoria Hospital Convalescent Home, Broadstairs 

Victoria Hospital Convalescent Home, Margate

Warburton House, Clintonville

Yarrow Convalescent Home, Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs

 LANCASHIRE 

Bradford Cinderella Holiday Home, Lancaster

Ormerod Convalescent Home, St Anne's on Sea (Lytham St Anne's)

 LEICESTERSHIRE 

Woodhouseves,  near Swithland Woods

 LINCOLNSHIRE  

Leicester Children's Holiday Home, Mablethorpe

 LONDON 

Children's Convalescent Home, Norbiton (150 children, 19th century)

Children's Convalescent Home, Cromwell House, Highgate (19th century)

Convalescent Home for Children, Shrewsbury Lane, Shooters Hill  

Duchess Of Kent Children's Rest Convalescent Home Twickenham

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)

 MERSEYSIDE  

Railway Convalescent Home, Leasowe (took in children as well as adults)

West Kirby Convalescent Home, Wirral (pictured below)

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

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

 SOUTH YORKSHIRE 

 STAFFORDSHIRE 

 SUFFOLK 

Children's 'wing' of convalescent home, Felixstowe (pictured below)

 SURREY 

Children's Convalescent Home for Surrey, Bognor Regis (1897 – 1948) (pictured below)

Hornsea Convalescent Home for Children (1902 – 1970)

Little Folks school, Rackstraw, Camberley

 WALES 

Craig-y-nos TB Sanatorium, Brecon Beacons: opened 1922

Martineau House, Towyn

 WARWICKSHIRE 

 WEST MIDLANDS 

Evans' Convalescent Home for Children, Manor Road, Solihull

Wassell Grove, Birmingham 

 WEST SUSSEX 

Children's Convalescent Home for Surrey, Bognor Regis

Littlehampton Convalescent Home

Martineau House, Bognor Regis

 WEST YORKSHIRE 

Fairthorn Convalescent Home, Sheffield

Meanwood Children's Convalescent Home, Hyde Park, Leeds (pictured below)

 WORCESTERSHIRE 

Worcester Road, Droitwich – probably called Oaklands 

Do you have memories of being in a convalescent home?

Do you know of convalescent homes that are not listed here?

We would love to hear from you.