The material below is taken from the web page Unless otherwise indicated, content is copyright Peter Higginbotham and may not be re-published without permission.
Ancestry UK

Pastens, Limpsfield, Surrey

Just after the Second World War, the National Children's Home (NCH) established a nursery home in a property known as Pastens on Pastens Road, near Limpsfield. The home accommodated twenty babies prior to their being adopted.

In around 1948, the NCH home at Oxted was closed and the children transferred to Pastens.

From 1951, Pastens was used for children aged from 5 to 18 having severe learning difficulties, restricted physical mobility, or behavioural problems.

In 1958, Pastens was severely damaged by a fire and was completely rebuilt

Pastens is still in operation, providing residential care for 16 local disabled children and young people, as well as offering short holidays to other disabled children living at home.

Records

Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.

  • Action For Children (formerly the National Children's Home). Can provide access to their own records for individuals who were adopted through the charity or who resided in one of its homes. Help also for those searching for family history information.

Bibliography

  • Bradfield, William The Life of the Reverend Thomas Bowman Stephenson (1913, Kelly)
  • Curnock, Nehemiah The Story of the Children's Home (C.H. Kelly, 1901)
  • Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain's Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
  • Horner, Francis Shadow and Sun (Epworth Press, 1920)
  • Howard, Philip J Philip: a Strange Child (Dalkeith Publishing, 2007)
  • Philpot, Terry Action For Children (Lion, 1994)
  • Walpole, Cecil F. Golden Links (Epworth Press, 1941)

Films

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