British Schools Museum

Located on Queen Street, in Hitchin town centre, the Museum contains the world’s last remaining purpose built Monitorial schoolroom, built in 1837. Step back in time and explore a series of old classrooms and workshops from schooldays past. The British Schools Museum features temporary exhibitions, as well as a collection featuring everything from the abacus, to textbooks, to the cane.

Look into the life of Joseph Lancaster, who inspired an “educational revolution” in Great Britain and around the world in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

There are a number of classrooms free to roam that illustrate the changes of education through time, the Headmasters House, café and gift shop. Entrance fee includes a guided tour, or you can explore at your own pace with a self-guiding leaflet.