Children's Homes in Warwickshire ......................................

There does not seem to be very much information around about the children's homes established by the Warwick Poor Law Union. If you can help, please get in touch In the meantime, I'll outline my understanding such as it is.

Towards the last decades of the 19th century, there was increasing concern about children in the workhouses and Guardians of the Poor - who had local authority responsibility for the children in their area were considering what alternatives they could provide away from the workhouse.

Many Guardians of the Poor went down the route of cottage homes - generally rural, generally self-contained 'villages' of cottages for children such as was built in Birmingham (Erdington and Shenley). Other Guardians of the Poor chose an alternative route - known as scattered homes. These were ordinary-looking homes which were taken over (not always purpose built) for children in existing communities. Sheffield was one of the first places to adopt scattered homes for children.

Warwick Guardians of the Poor, it would seem, went down the route of the scattered home. As far as we can be sure, the following scattered homes were built at the turn of the 19th century:

Leamington - three homes were built in Leamington

Linen Street, Warwick  - a boys' home was built in Linen Street

Wharf Street, Warwick 

Two semi-detached houses built as a receiving home in around 1912. A receiving home was the place a child would go to first before they were found a more permanent placing in a home or perhaps boarded out. This home functioned until the 1970s. The building still stands today.

Myton Hamlet Children's Home

Later on, another home was built - at Myton Hamlet. This was perhaps a cross between the cottage homes model and the scattered homes model. It was certainly functioning in the 1930s, and was perhaps built in the 1920s. Around 70 children could be housed in a number of large buildings standing around a green. Again, it seems it was functioning until the 1970s. SOme, if not all, of the buildings are still standing.

A website has been set up for people who were at Myton Hamlet Children's Home and want to share their memories.

Other children's homes in the area

It is tempting to think that these were perhaps other scattered homes built at the turn of the 19th century - although I really am just guessing at this stage.

The Hermitage, Solihull

Cromwell Road, Rugby

Charles Street, Rugby

Henry Street, Nuneaton

Meriden, Leys Lane, Coventry

We would love to be able to share more information about all of these homes on this site. Please get in touch if you can help.