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Site and function of British orphanage buildings

The site, buildings and rooms of an early-mid 20th century an orphanage, as described in the previously unpublished childhood recollections of Brenda May Wilson, shared with this website by her son, Kevin Flynn. The orphanage was Myton Hamlet Children's Home, Warwick, and Brenda was there between 1938 and 1941.

The site

My orphanage, the council-run Myton Hamlet Children's Home in Warwick was purpose-built and was officially opened in 1938 - my year of arrival - by the then Duke of Kent. It was set well back from the road, and there was a big lawn at the front.

There was also a big yard at the back and an assembly hall.

The gardens and a lot of the grounds were 'out of bounds', partly because of a big stagnant pond there, but there was a field for playing cricket or netball, although our chores left hardly any time to use it.

The buildings

The buildings - or at least their function - were probably reasonably similar in other orphanages, but I don't know any details.

Boys' and girls' houses were run on much the same lines.

There was a large house for the Master and Matron and their family. This was designated as number 1.

Then there were three blocks of semi-detached houses for the children, arranged in a horseshoe shape and numbered 2 to 7: Numbers 2 and 3 were for girls;numbers 4 and 5 were for boys; number 6 was for boys and number 7 was for girls.

The rooms

Upstairs, each house had two dormitories sleeping six, with iron bedsteads. There was also a bedroom for the housemother who had her own bathroom and toilet, which was not to be used by us children. There was also a sickroom and a store-room where the clothing was kept.

Downstairs were a kitchen, a dining-room, a bathroom for us children, a 'playroom'-cum-sitting-room, and a boot-room, where coats, shoes and wellingtons were kept. There were two adjoining toilets. There were four wash basins but only one bath, so everyone was allocated a bath night.

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