The 100 year history of Crossley/Gaddum

This year marks some important anniversaries with regards to the Charity's presence in Cheadle.  After the purchase of over 23 acres of land the first of the Charity's children moved into Cheadle in 1920 to a building that already existed known as Belmont House, which in 2023 is currently being partially demolished. The Charity however began constructing their own buildings soon after, the first completed was known as Crossley/Gaddum now home to Inscape House School. The building officially opened almost 100 years ago in July 1923 with 40 boys from the Charity's orphan homes in George Street, Cheetham Hill moving in soon after.

Stone Laying Ceremony for Crossley/Gaddum building, Cheadle 1922

Two years later in 1925 later Hayes/Shaw now home to Ashcroft School opened and 20 girls and 20 boys again moved from the George Street homes to Cheadle, meaning all together over 120 children were accommodated on the Cheadle site. The Charity's ambition was however even greater. The creation of a 'Children's Garden Village' in Cheadle consisting of 10 homes in all to accommodate 200 children was planned. This scale was never quite realised however the numbers of children resident on the estate did increase to 150 at one point during the Second World War.

Crossley, Gaddum, Shaw and Hayes homes

The circumstances of the children's entry to the Charity's care ranged, some arrived due to neglect or ill-treatment, others had parents who were ill or came from single parent families who had difficulty supporting their child. One case referred to in the Charity's annual report was of a boy of four whose father had deserted the family and whose mother was in domestic service. The employer of the mother spoke in support of allowing the child to be looked after by the Charity to allow the mother to work. 

The Cheadle site originally housed children up to 16 years. During the 1930s records refer to the youngest child as being 11 months old, by the later 1940s the youngest children was listed as around two and a half years. Belmont House accommodated the youngest and eldest children. When the children reached school age they would move from Belmont House to either Crossley, Gaddum, Hayes or Shaw homes and where possible children were not moved again.

Dormitory for one of the boy's homes

The homes were named after long standing supporters of the Charity. William Crossley had acted as Trustee from 1883 and later Chairman. The Gaddum family's support for the Charity runs from 1902 right up to the present day. Hayes home was named in memorial to Mr Louis Milroy Hayes who from 1872- 1896 was a Committee member of the Charity and Trustee for many years. Shaw home was a memorial to Annie Shaw who died in November 1923 and was a keen supporter of the Charity both before and after the death in 1901 of her husband Leonard Shaw who founded the Charity.

The annual report of 1925 reflects on the move from central Manchester to Cheadle, commenting that the Central Refuge, sold to raise funds for the Cheadle estate, looked out upon Strangeways Prison, a stark contrast to the gardens and meadows of Cheadle. The land around the homes meant the children were encouraged to be outdoors. The role of Games Master/Children's Visitor was referred to in numerous reports, a role that was resident on site. The Children's Visitor investigated the applications made for admission, apparently alongside the role of Games Master arranging outdoor activities such as cricket and football. One account in an annual report of the 1920s refers with some surprise that at cricket, 'the girls are able to give quite a good account of themselves.' Handicrafts were encouraged during winter and the homes competed for prizes in gardening.

Kitchen gardens on the Cheadle Estate

The children attended day schools in the local area. A letter to Education Offices in Manchester in 1922 before the opening of Crossley/Gaddum homes asked for advice on ensuring school places were available. Children would attend Church on Sunday morning and on Sunday evening would gather on the Cheadle site for a family service which was open to anyone who cared to attend. The 1927 annual report recounts the preparation made for the children for Christmas Day including presents from the Committee of gloves and handkerchiefs and the Cheadle Brass Band playing for the children over a Christmas breakfast. The children took part in an annual Pantomime, in 1938 performing 'The Babes in the Wood'. There was a scheduled visiting day each week for family members and occasionally residents travelled to the Charity's convalescent home in Colwyn Bay for a summer holiday.

Bathroom in one of the boy's homes, towels and brushes hung up for each boy

After leaving school at 14 boys who had no family members to stay with were accommodated in the Charity's Young Men's Home in Cheetham Hill and situations were found for them. When the girls left school they generally remained on the Cheadle site until aged 16, some would go on to become staff members in the homes or worked for the Charity in other positions, others were trained for domestic service or nursing. The annual report of 1936 refers to the Charity continuing to act as foster mother or father to those whose parents were unfit to or who could not be traced. In 1948 school leaving ages rose and the Charity notes that separate rooms or cubicles may be required because of this change.

By 1958 in line with changing times the Crossley, Gaddum, Hayes and Shaws homes on the Cheadle site were closed with the children moved to smaller family homes in the area. From this point on the use of Crossley/Gaddum changed several times before the creation of Inscape 30 years ago in 1993. Notably the building was adapted to accommodate children from the Bethesda residential school, then in 1982 the precursor to Bridge College known as the Extended Education Unit opened in the building. The changing use of the building can be found in the timeline below.

At 30 years old Inscape House School is now the second longest serving service to find a home in the Crossley/Gaddum building. Two years before the school's official opening four students with autistic spectrum conditions were taught on the Cheadle site and from these small beginnings the Inscape School was established and has since flourished. Whereas the original buildings on the Cheadle site had been named after the Charity's supporters, Inscape broke this tradition. Named by the Charity's Education Director of the time, the name was based on the dictionary definition of 'Inscape' which refers to people's unique inner nature, thoughts and feelings. An appropriate name for the service provided.

Crossley/Gaddum

7 September 1922- Stone laying ceremony for the building took place with stones laid by Lady Mabel Crossley and Mrs H. T Gaddum. 

21 July 1923- official opening of Crossley/Gaddum homes by the Lord Mayor of Manchester followed the next day by a service undertaken by the Bishop of Chester. 

August 1923- 40 boys moved in from the Charity's orphan homes on George Street, Cheetham Hill. 

1958-1978- residents of Crossley/Gaddum were moved to smaller family homes in the local area and adaptations were made to accommodate children from Bethesda, the Charity's residential school for children with disabilities which moved to Cheadle in 1959. Gaddum became a ground-floor flat providing residential housing for 8 boys from the Bethesda school. Crossley became the administrative centre for the school. Upper dormitories at Gaddum and Crossley were altered to form rooms for resident staff. The Recreation Hall was adapted and extended to become the school with 5 classrooms including a Kitchencraft bay and therapy treatment rooms.

1979-1981- With residential numbers for the Bethesda school falling the Gaddum building turned back into a residential home for children before closing with children being transferred to Hayes/Shaw.

1982-1993- an Extended Education Unit (EEU) opened in the Crossley/Gaddum building providing post 16 education for up to 10 Bethesda pupils. Crossley/Gaddum was adapted to provide accommodation for students and staff. Student numbers increased and this service transferred to Offerton in 1993 becoming Bridge College, moving to its Openshaw campus in September 2012.

March/April 1993- from September 1991 four children with autism spectrum conditions had been taught in a Bethesda classroom, numbers grew and a new service, Inscape House School opened Easter 1993 in the Crossley/Gaddum building vacated by EEU's move to Offerton. The school is now 30 years old.

1995- the growth of Inscape meant portacabins and rooms in Hayes/Shaw and the Bethesda School were used for lessons. 

1997- extension to the Crossley/Gaddum building and a new sensory room completed

June 1997- May 1998- Work is undertaken to transform Hayes/Shaw for use by Inscape House which was officially opened in May 1998 with a large ribbon cut between the Crossley/Gaddum and Hayes/Shaw buildings. The work included specialised rooms for IT and science.

2000-2001 with part of the Children and Youth Care Education Service (CYCES) moving into the Hayes/Shaw building a new Inscape service was opened in Salford.

2012-2013- Further re-development of Inscape in order all the Trust's autism services could come together on the Cheadle site with pupils from The Russell Centre, a service for pupils with autism spectrum conditions over 16 being welcomed to the Cheadle site in 2012 and pupils from the Salford site welcomed in September 2013.