The Haven, “Mother and baby home”.
The Haven, “mother and baby” home
What Was The Haven?
The Haven was a mother and baby home that operated in Yateley from 1945 to 1970. Run by the Baptist Union, it provided a place for unmarried expectant mothers to give birth away from their families and local communities – a reflection of the strong social stigma around unwed pregnancy at the time.
Today, The Haven is the most frequently asked-about part of Yateley’s history. Many people, while researching their family trees, discover they were born there – often unexpectedly. That’s why we’ve put together this page: to share everything we know about The Haven and offer advice for anyone looking to uncover more about their personal connection to it.
Background
The building that became The Haven started out as a private home, built sometime between 1907 and the start of the First World War. It changed hands a few times over the years, eventually being bought by Colonel and Mrs Macrae, who named it Kerala. After their deaths in 1935, the house was used as a convalescent home for RAF officers.
In 1943, the Baptist Union purchased the property and leased it to the Baptist Women’s League. Their plan was to create a mother and baby home — and in 1945, that vision became a reality when The Haven opened its doors to expectant mothers.
There had been growing concern across the Baptist community about the lack of support for unmarried women who became pregnant during the upheaval of the war years. Many were left without help due to family breakdowns or separation. The idea of setting up maternity homes for these women and their babies was discussed nationally, starting around 1943. In Yateley, the local Baptist pastor and congregation at the church on Cricket Hill took the lead, identifying Kerala as the right place for such a home — once it had been repaired and adapted to suit its new purpose.
What Was The Haven?
The Haven was a mother and baby home that operated in Yateley from 1945 to 1970. Run by the Baptist Union, it provided a place for unmarried expectant mothers to give birth away from their families and local communities – a reflection of the strong social stigma around unwed pregnancy at the time.
Today, The Haven is the most frequently asked-about part of Yateley’s history. Many people, while researching their family trees, discover they were born there – often unexpectedly. That’s why we’ve put together this page: to share everything we know about The Haven and offer advice for anyone looking to uncover more about their personal connection to it.
Background
The building that became The Haven started out as a private home, built sometime between 1907 and the start of the First World War. It changed hands a few times over the years, eventually being bought by Colonel and Mrs Macrae, who named it Kerala. After their deaths in 1935, the house was used as a convalescent home for RAF officers.
In 1943, the Baptist Union purchased the property and leased it to the Baptist Women’s League. Their plan was to create a mother and baby home, and in 1945 that vision became a reality when The Haven opened its doors to expectant mothers.
There had been growing concern across the Baptist community about the lack of support for unmarried women who became pregnant during the upheaval of the war years. Many were left without help due to family breakdowns or separation. The idea of setting up maternity homes for these women and their babies was discussed nationally, starting around 1943. In Yateley, the local Baptist pastor and congregation at the church on Cricket Hill took the lead, identifying Kerala as the right place for such a home – once it had been repaired and adapted to suit its new purpose.
The Haven “mother and baby” home.
The Haven’s Early Days
When The Haven first opened, it welcomed just three expectant mothers. But word spread quickly, and soon applications were arriving from across the country. Referrals came through doctors, churches, social workers – and notably, the Forces Help Society. This connection was especially important in the early years, as many young women from the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) applied, often wanting to keep their pregnancies hidden from their families.
Most of the young women were in their late teens or early twenties, and many travelled long distances to Yateley to ensure privacy. At that time – over 70 years ago – having a baby outside of marriage carried a deep social stigma, not just for the mother but for her entire family. It’s hard to imagine today, but back then, secrecy was often seen as essential. Many of these young women had also lost their fiancés in the war, making their situations even more difficult.
As the years passed, the direct link to wartime circumstances faded. But shifting social norms – especially during the post-war years and the cultural shake-up of the ‘swinging sixties’ – meant unplanned pregnancies were still common. It wasn’t until contraception became more widely available in the late 1960s that the need for places like The Haven began to decline.
Life at The Haven
Life at The Haven was disciplined and, by today’s standards, quite basic – although not necessarily different from many boarding schools at the time. Over time, it became more common for parents to coordinate placements with the Baptist Women’s League. In most cases, babies were put up for adoption, even when mothers wished to keep them.
This practice of enforced separation is one of the main reasons why, years later, many adults – and sometimes their own children – begin the journey to find and reconnect with their birth mothers.
The Haven closes its doors
Towards the end of the 1960s the number of applications fell so rapidly that the need for The Haven almost vanished and in 1969 it was closed, with just a few girls going into local authority care.
Soon afterwards the building was bought by a developer and demolished, making way for the Greenhaven estate.
During its 25 years of existence just over 1,760 babies were born at The Haven, most of whom were adopted. We cannot know how many of these have looked for or indeed found their birth mothers, nor whether any were local to Yateley.
Help and resources available if you are researching your own connections to The Haven
The Yateley Society
While we are happy to share the historical background of The Haven, The Yateley Society is legally limited in how we can respond to personal enquiries. We don’t hold any records of individual adoptions or the names of birth mothers – and even if we did, the Adoption Acts of 1926, 1958, and 1975 would prevent us from sharing that information.
The Haven Mother & Baby Home Facebook Group
There is a dedicated Facebook group that provides a private and supportive space where people can ask questions and share information. To protect everyone’s privacy and avoid any unexpected reunions, the group keeps a secure member database and carefully checks all requests to join. They have also acted as an intermediary for several members, helping to manage sensitive enquiries with care and discretion. Click here to request to join the group.
