Remembering the Day Nursery at Rainham Hall

Remembering the Day Nursery, the second major exhibition at Rainham Hall, tells the story of when the building was requisitioned and operated as a day nursery for local children between 1943-1954. The exhibition ran from 10 February 2017 - 31 December 2018.

Nursery children at Rainham Hall during the Second World War
Nursery children at Rainham Hall during the Second World War

Remembering the Day Nursery at Rainham Hall 

Between 2017-18 our exhibition programme explored the era when the Hall operated as a day nursery for local children between 1943-1954.

John and a friend with a Rainham Hall nursery nurse during the late 1940s

Remembering Rainham women's war effort  

Learn more about the crucial role of women in the establishment and running of war-time nurseries, including Rainham Hall's.

The Rainham Hall day nursery operated between 1943-1954

Roger and Janice: Memories of the Day Nursery 

Discover the remarkable story of Roger and Janice - two former attendees of the Rainham Hall day nursery.

Past events

An art installation piece inspired by 'play days' at the Rainham Hall nursery

Play Days: Textile art installation 

'Play Days' was a temporary textile art installation in November 2017, inspired by the Day Nursery exhibition.

A textile art created National Identity card inspired by the Second World War era

'Goodnight Children Everywhere': Textile exhibition by The Material Girls 

During September 2017, local art collective The Material Girls brought their nursery-inspired textile art exhibition to the Hayloft.

A National dried milk tin on display at Rainham Hall

'Bake do and mend' 

A series of talks and tastings shared recipes that would have been served up during the Hall's day nursery years between 1943-1954.

Rainham Hall during the day nursery era (1943-1954)

London Festival of Architecture 2017 

Rainham Hall was one of hundreds of venues celebrating the theme of 'memory' as part of the London Festival of Architecture in 2017.

A wooden xylophone suspended on the pier in Rainham Hall Garden.

Vintage Summer Activities 

During the summer holidays in 2018, there were a variety of family friendly activities inspired by the former day nursery at Rainham Hall.

Mother and daughter planting in the garden

'Dig for Victory!' 

As part of the "dig for victory" project in the Rainham Hall Community Gardens, we planted lots of vegetables to eat.