Description:According to the memories of Joan Whittingham, who worked at the nursery in Erdington Cottage Homes and who accompanied the children when they were evacuated, 30 children were evacuated from the nursery at Erdington Cottage Homes, and perhaps from other nurseries in the city as well, in 1940. The children were evacuated into what was a youth hostel in Dolgellau, North Wales. The hostel became known as Kings Residential Nursery. If the children’s parents were still alive at this time, their permission had to be sought before the evacuation took place.
The children slept in the main building, the staff were in an annexe. Miss Barnes was the head of the nursery.
In 1942, the children were moved into a nearby stately home which became known as Garth Residential Nursery School and could accommodate more children.
The main building is now a youth hostel again and is known once more as King’s Youth Hostel.
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Image: Kings Nursery in 1941 reproduced with the kind permission of Penny Jennings.
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Source: This history was compiled by the Birmingham Children's Homes Project, an initiative to explore Birmingham City Council-run children’s homes between 1949 and 1990.