On This Day in Wembury
31 January 1951 — Night Orderly Sought at Langdon Court Children’s Convalescent Home
On this day a notice appeared in the Western Evening Herald inviting applications for a Female Night Orderly at Langdon Court Children’s Convalescent Home, located near Wembury in Langdon Court. The role covered the hours 8 pm to 8 am at a weekly rate of 6s 4d, with transport provided from Plymouth. Applicants were asked to include details of their experience and two references and to submit their materials to the Matron for further information. The 32-bed facility was clearly active in serving the community’s children after WWII.
Reflection: In the early postwar years, Langdon Court's function as a children’s convalescent home shows how the estate, formerly a private manor, was repurposed for public health and welfare. The demand for staff—like a night orderly—illustrates both the home’s operational scope and the continuing societal need to support children’s recovery and rest in a peaceful, rural setting. Langdon Court served as a children’s convalescent home roughly from the late 1940s (post-war) until 1960, spanning a period of approximately 10–15 years, after this time it became a hotel.
