SPRINGFIELD HOUSE MORLEY

This Morley care home started life as a mill owner's house. It was built in around 1850 by Maister John Webster, the owner of Rods Mill, for himself and his family. He used to trot down to his mill at 6am every morning, and his workers would know that they should be setting off to work as they heard him pass.

The house was eventually sold to Springfield Mill and the owners lived in it. There was a cricket pitch in front of the house right down to Victoria Road, and Springfield Farm behind the house. Elderly residents have remembered visiting Springfield House for Christmas parties for children of the mill workers, and remember being amazed by the size of the rooms.

The next phase of life for the house was to be divided into 3 dwellings, 2 large flats and a house for the mill captain, Mr Robberts, and his wife. The house was divided very thoroughly, with a second set of stone steps being put in to get to the cellar, and 2 sets of stairs to the attic.

By 1983 the house was empty and very dilapidated. It had been flooded, and there were 65 broken panes of glass. Vandals had even climbed out on the roof and left a yellow roadworks light there, flashing away. Sue and Bob Hart were hoping to start a Leeds care home and thought that Springfield House would make a good one and so took the plunge and bought it.

Gradually over the years the house was renovated, improved and extended, until it now has room for 22 residents. Care of the elderly has changed a lot since 1983, becoming much more professional, and Sue Hart was one of the early members of the Leeds Care Homes Association which has championed quality care for older people for many years.

Of all the Morley care homes, Springfield House is the only one to have the same owner/manager for almost 40 years, and she is still enjoying the job, and planning ways to improve.