Lancashire County Council Homes

The Boards of Guardians, who had administered the poor relief system in England and Wales since 1834, were abolished in 1930 and their responsibilities were taken over by county and county borough councils. Each council set up a Public Assistance Committee to oversee its new duties, which included the operation of the various children's establishments previously run by the poor law unions in each area.

The Lancashire County Council's Public Assistance Committee took over the work previously carried out by around twenty Poor Law authorities. After reviewing the stock of children's accommodation it had inherited, the council initially kept five homes in use. These were at:

The Bury home had been closed by 1934, however.

Former children's home, Quernmore Road, Lancaster, 2001. © Peter Higginbotham

Following the start of the Second World War, the Rawtenstall and Leigh homes were closed. By 1947, a 30-bed home was in operation at Minster Lodge, Ormskirk.

Following the passing of the 1948 Children Act, councils were required to provide care services for all needy children in their area, especially those who lacked a normal family home. In common with other local authorities, the council established a new Children's Committee, whose responsibilities had previously been spread across separate Health, Education and Public Assistance Committees.

By 1952, new homes had been opened at the Old Vicarage, Bolton-le-Sands; Broad Oak, Sandy Lane, Accrington; 37 Southfield Drive, Westhoughton; Oaklands, Lowton St Marys; Burnthwaite, Lostock, near Bolton; and Bankfield, Ainsworth, near Bolton. Girls' hostels had been opened at 113A Watling Street, Preston, and Neild House, Anson Road, Manchester. At the same date, a boys' hostel was in operation at at Stanifield Road, Farington, near Preston. Residential nurseries had also been established at Rainford Hall, St Helens, and Holly House, Aughton. A reception centre was located at Moorfield, Moorside Road, Swinton. The council now also had responsibility for the Homelea Remand Home at 294 Mosley Common Road, Walkden, near Manchester. The Quernmore Road home at Lancaster was no longer in use.

Further homes were opened during the 1950s, including twenty-four family group homes, each providing around 8 places. The council's children's accommodation in 1959 is listed below.

The stock of children's accommodation continued to grow in the 1960s, with the number of family group homes reaching 43 by 1969. Additional homes of all types in operation by 1969 are listed below:

Following the local government reorganisation that took place in 1974, changes took place in the area administered by Lancashire County Council. As part of that process, some children's homes in the region underwent a change in which council managed them, with the county taking over those previously run by borough councils such as Blackburn, Blackpool and Preston. New homes also continued to be opened and some existing establishments closed. The Lancashire County Council's homes in 1975 were:

By 1983, a decline in the number of children being placed in residential care had led to the closure of some establishments including the long-standing home at Minster Lodge, Ormskirk. A rare opening during this period was a family group home at 4 Larches Avenue, Preston.

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

• Broad Oak, Sandy Lane, Accrington
• Dyke Nook Lodge, Whalley Road, Accrington
• Bankfield, Ainsworth Hall Road, Ainsworth
• Family Group Home, 89 Aintree Lane, Aintree
• Family Group Home, 19 Leech Avenue, Ashton-under-Lyne
• Wood End Remand Home, Everest Road, Atherton
• Family Group Home, 129 Pilmuir Road, Blackburn§
• Family Group Home, 130 Lytham Road, Blackburn
• Family Group Home, 134 Shear Brow, Blackburn
• Family Group Home, 21 Whitby Drive, Blackburn§
• Reception Centre, 33 Kingsfold Drive, Penwortham, Blackburn
• Family Group Home, 4 Dunoon Drive, Blackburn
• Family Group Home, 5 Easington Walk, Blackburn
• Family Group Home, 594 Whalley New Road, Blackburn§
• Family Group Home, 62 Whitebirk Road, Blackburn
• Family Group Home, 85 Peridot Close, Blackburn
• Girls' Home, Cherry Tree Lane, Livesey, Blackburn
• Highfield, Fryer Close, Kingsfold Drive, Penwortham, Blackburn
• Blackburn House Approved School, Heys Lane, Blackburn
• Blackburn House Family Group Home, Heys Lane, Blackburn
• The Grange, Hollowhead Lane, Wilpshire, Blackburn
• Family Group Home, 1 Lostock Gardens, Blackpool
• Family Group Home, 24 Low Moor Road, Blackpool
• Family Group Home, 331 Bispham Road, Blackpool
• Family Group Home, 6 Dalegarth Close, Blackpool
• Family Group Home, 61 Furness Avenue, Blackpool
• Family Group Home, Argosy Avenue, Blackpool
• Grundy House, Stony Hill Avenue, Blackpool
• Fylde Farm Reformatory for Boys, Poulton-le-Fylde, Blackpool
• Family Group Home, 53 Farm Road, Bold
• Family Group Home, 7 Beech Avenue, Little Lever, Bolton
• Burnthwaite, Old Hall Lane, Lostock, Bolton
• The Children's Home, The Old Vicarage, Bolton-le-Sands
• Family Group Home, Fern Bank, Coal Clough Lane, Burnley
• Family Group Home, Hargher Clough, Dunoon Street, Burnley
• Family Group Home, Sunnyside, 318 Colne Road, Burnley
• Family Group Home, The Haven, Brunshaw Raod, Burnley
• Poplar House, Moss Hall Road, Heap Bridge, Bury
• Family Group Home, 19 Cotswold Road, Chorley
• Family Group Home, 2 Thirlmere Road, Chorley
• Family Group Home, 22 Derwent Avenue, Chorley
• Rydal House, Chorley Hall Road, Chorley
• Calder House Residential Nursery, Highfield Road North, Chorley
• Stump Lane, Chorley
• Family Group Home, 4 Warwick Avenue, Clayton-le-Moors
• Family Group Home, Barcroft Street, Colne
• Family Group Home, 32 Linden Road, Denton
• Family Group Home, 76 St Lawrence Road, Denton
• Burrow Bank, 227 Garstang Road, Fulwood
• Family Group Home, Cragbank, Grange Fell Road, Grange over Sands
• Family Group Home, 14 Blake Gardens, Great Harwood
• Haslingden Union / Lancashire Council Cottage Homes, Moorland Cottages, Sandown Road, Haslingden*
• Family Group Home, 18 Moss Road, Heywood
• Family Group Home, Princess Street, Hindley
• Girls' Approved School, Meadowcroft, Pope Lane, Hutton
• Kirkham Cottage Homes, Moor Lane, Kirkham*
• In Service Training Centre, Moor Lane, Kirkham
• Kirkham Residential Nursery, Moor Street, Kirkham
• Lancaster Union / Lancashire Council Home (Parkside), 2 Quernmore Road, Lancaster*
• Family Group Home, 234 Bowerham Road, Lancaster
• Family Group Home, 24 Hala Grove, Lancaster
• Family Group Home, Bowerham Road, Lancaster
• Girls' Remand Home, Slynedales, Slyne Road, Lancaster
• Family Group Home, 9 Westby Place, Larches
• Girls' Home, 9 Wensleydale Drive, Leigh
• Children's Home, Chatham Street, Leigh Road, Leigh
• Woodfield Children's Home, Orchard Lane, Leigh
• Family Group Home, Glendale Close, Leyland
• Family Group Home, 66 Trafford Drive, Little Hulton
• Family Group Home, Newby Drive, Huyton, Liverpool
• Parkside School for Girls / Poplar Bank House School for Girls, Poplar Bank, Huyton, Liverpool
• Longridge Children's Home, 2 Barnacre Road, Longridge
• Longridge Children's Home, Inglewhite Road, Longridge
• Woodville School, Longridge
• Family Group Home, 1 Ullswater Way, Goodshaw Chapel, Loveclough
• Family Group Home, 2 Hudson Road, Maghull
• Holmlea Remand Home, 294 Mosley Common Road, Boothstown, Walkden, Manchester
• Worsely Reception Centre (2nd Stage), Alder Wood, Simpson Road, Boothstown, Walkden, Manchester
• Moorfield Children's Reception Centre, Moorside Road, Swinton, Manchester
• Neild House, 6 Anson Road, Victoria Park House, Manchester
• Family Group Home, Clifton Avenue, Marton
• Family Group Home, 1 Whalley Road, Middleton
• Family Group Home, 16 Berwyn Avenue, Middleton
• Family Group Home, 19 Berwyn Avenue, Middleton
• Family Group Home, 5 Furness Road, Middleton
• Family Group Home, 103 Walton Lane, Nelson
• Family Group Home, 2 Springfield Road, Nelson
• Family Group Home, 97 Brier Crescent, Nelson
• Family Group Home, Marsden Hall Road, Nelson
• Liverpool Reformatory Farm School for Boys / Red Bank School, Mill Lane (now Winwick Road), Newton-le-Willows
• Holly House Residential Nursery, Aughton, Ormskirk
• Quarry Mount, Greetby Hill, Ormskirk
• Minster Lodge, Ruff Lane, Ormskirk
• Family Group Home, Parish Street, Padiham
• The Children's Home, The Old Vicarage, Whalley Road, Padiham
• The Fylde School, Normross Road, Poulton-le-Fylde
• Family Group Home, 1/5 Carr Street, Preston
• Hostel for Girls, 113A Watling Street Road, Preston
• Family Group Home, 16 Grange Place, Preston
• Family Group Home, 30 Hazelhurst, Moor Nook, Preston
• Firbank House, 331 Blackpool Road, Preston
• Family Group Home, 4 Larches Avenue, Preston
• Family Group Home, 61 Grange Avenue, Preston
• Family Group Home, 61 Marl Hill Crescent, Moor Nook, Preston
• Children's Reception Centre, Brindle Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston
• Malvern House, Lacy Avenue, Preston
• Reception Centre (2nd Stage), Malvern House, Lacey Avenue, Penwortham, Preston
• Girls' Remand Home, Ravenscroft, Liverpool Old Road, Longton, Preston
• Lynnhurst Hostel for Boys, Stanifield Lane, Farington, Preston
• Family Group Home, 9 Simister Lane, Prestwich
• Family Group Home, 2 Hazel Grove, Radcliffe
• Family Group Home, 211 Turks Road, Radcliffe
• Family Group Home, 36 Wordsworth Avenue, Radcliffe
• St Joseph's School / Briars Hey Community Home, Mill Lane, Rainhill
• Family Group Home, 8 Bacup Road, Rawtenstall
• Crestmoor, Haslingden Old Road, Rawtenstall
• Family Group Home, 20 Munro Crescent, Ribbleton
• Girls' Home, Blackshaw Lane, Royton
• Elm House, 14 Lime Grove, Skelmersdale
• Family Group Home, 21/23 Tarlswood, Skelmersdale
• The Willows, 354 Birley Wood, Skelmersdale
• St Thomas More, Liverpool Road, Southport
• Birkdale Farm School Reformatory for Roman Catholic Boys, Liverpool Road, Ainsdale, Southport
• St Mary's Approved School / Blackbrook House Community Home, Blackbrook Road, St Helens
• Rainford Hall Residential Nursery, Crank, St Helens
• Family Group Home, 39 Belvedere Avenue, Thornton
• Family Group Home, 18 Holme Crescent, Trawden
• Family Group Home, 90 Whittle Street, Walkden
• Oaklands, LowtonSt Mary's, Warrington
• 37 Southfield Drive, Westhoughton
• Family Group Home, 52 Washacre, Westhoughton
• Family Group Home, 22 Chestnut Close, Whiston
• Pilkington House, Mersey Drive, Whitefield
• Family Group Home, Pole Lane, Whitefield
• Family Group Home, 56 Blundell Road, Widnes
• Family Group Home, 61 Edinburgh Road, Widnes
• Family Group Home, 67 Edinburgh Road, Widnes
• Family Group Home, Victoria Road, Platt Bridge, Wigan
• Greenfield House School, Greenfield House, Carr Mill Road, Billinge, Wigan

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 Lancashire Council homes may exist at:

• Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2RE.

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

• Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain's Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
• Urquhart, Gloria (2020) Nobody's Child: The True Story of Growing up in a Yorkshire Children's Home
• Cooke, Allan Institutionalized in a Children's Home: Skellow Hall 1950-1963 — a true story of a child and children in a home (2012, Authorhouse)
• Cummings, Les Forgotten: The Heartrending Story of Life in a Children's Home
• Limbrick, Gudrun The Children of the Homes: a century of Erdington Cottage Homes

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

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