Ancestry UK

North Hill House / Red House / Spring Bank Nursery, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire

In 1918, a residential nursery was established at North Hill House, North Grange Road, Leeds. It provided accommodation for children whose mothers, because of illness, desertion or poverty, were unable to provided a comfortable home for their babies. It was originally run by the Voluntary Association in conjunction with the Leeds Council's Education Committee, but passed into the hands of the Health Committee in 1919.

North Hill House, Leeds

In 1921, the nursery moved to premises at Bainbrigge Road, Headingley, and became known as the Red House Residential Nursery. Its inmates increasingly comprised children under the age of three whose mothers had to go into hospital for confinement, operation or illness, and who had no-one to look after the children. Children whose mothers had died, deserted, been deserted, and a few cases of illegitimate children were also admitted. Staff at the home were housed in a temporary wood and iron building which had been transferred from Seacroft Hospital in 1921.

In 1933, the facilities at Red House had become increasingly unsatisfactory and the home was transferred to larger premises known as Spring Bank at at 53 Headingley Lane, Leeds. The building had previously been home to St John's Orphanage.

Spring Bank Nursery, Leeds.

Spring Bank Nursery, Leeds.

Former Spring Bank Nursery, Leeds, 2015. © Peter Higginbotham

The nursery closed in about 1966 and the Spring Bank premises became home to the John Taylor Teachers' Centre. The building was converted to residential use in around 2007.

North Hill House is now used as student accommodation. The Red House no longer exists.

Records

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Bibliography

  • None identified at present.