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Ancestry UK

Clwyd County Council Homes

The administrative county of Clwyd was created in 1974 as part of a local government reorganisation in England and Wales. Clwyd incorporated Flintshire, most of Denbighshire, and the Edeyrnion Rural District from Merionethshire. The Clwyd County Council's social services department took over the management of children's homes previously run by the Flintshire and Denbighshire County Councils.

Following a further reorganisation in 1996, Clwyd was abolished and its local government was transferred to the new areas of Conwy, Wrexham, Denbighshire and Flintshire. Although bearing the same names, the boundaries of Denbighshire and Flintshire were significantly different from those of the earlier counties.

Children's establishments run at some time in their history by Clwyd County Council.


 

Denbighshire

  • Community Home, 15-17 Llwyn Onn, Elwy Road Estate, Rhos-on-Sea
  • Residential Nursery, 101 Box Lane, Little Acton, Wrexham
  • 45 Tapley Avnue, Wrexham
  • Community Home, 7 Tan-y-dre, Holt Road, Wrexham
  • Assessment Centre, Bersham Hall, Wrexham
  • Community Home with Education, Bryn Estyn School, Bryn Estyn Road, Wrexham
  • Cherry Hill, 91 Borras Park Road, Wrexham
  • Coppenhall, 188 Centenary Road, Brynoffa, Wrexham
  • Heulfre, 14 Horsley Drive, Little Acton, Wrexham
  • Assessment Centre, Little Acton, Wrexham
  • Chevet Hay Reception Centre / Community Home, Price's Lane / Greenfield Road, Wrexham

Flintshire

  • Cartrefle, 21 Main Road, Broughton
  • Rhiwlas, 138 Northop Road, Flint
  • Y Nyth Nursery / Home, Park Avenue, Bryn Gwalia, Mold
  • Park House, Nant Hall Road, Prestatyn
  • South Meadow, Ffordd Ffrith, Prestatyn
  • Upper Downing, Whitford

Records

The involvement of local authorities in the running of children's homes dates from 1930, when they took over the running of the poor relief system previously administered by Boards of Guardians. Surviving records for council-run children's homes may be held in each council's own internal archives. Prior to 1991, however, when a legal requirement was introduced for councils to retain records of children leaving their care, the survival of such records is very variable. Contact details for local authorities in the UK can be found on the website of the Care Leavers Association (CLA). The CLA also provides guidance on accessing childhood care files, which are normally only open to the individuals they relate to.

Locating local authority records has been complicated by the various local government reorganizations that have taken place in recent times, such as the abolition of the London County Council in 1965, and the major nationwide restructuring in 1974 in which many administrative areas were created, amended or eliminated.

Older records may sometimes be placed with the relevant county or borough record office. Many of these repositories have online catalogues of their holdings and also contribute to the National Archives' Discovery database. Note that records containing personal data usually have access closed for a period of fifty years or more.

Older material relating to Clwyd Council homes may exist at:

Some records relating to council-run homes, for example inspection reports (though not resident lists etc.), are held by The National Archives (TNA). A closure period may apply to these records.

Bibliography

Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.