British Schools Museum — Attraction in North Hertfordshire

I had a great time taking a fascinating walk through a part of British history. There are just so many wonderful artifacts, and great effort has been put into creating a visual experience that plants you right in the period that the room corresponds to (beginning in the early 19th century through to WWII). I really enjoyed the copious amounts of information to read and take in. There are also scanable QR codes that open up Youtube videos, with actors reading the information in character; if that's more your thing.

There is an exhibit, once one has taken in all that the school has to offer, of famous persons connected with the local area. It was a treasure trove of fascinating items to look at. It features Dickens, Orwell, George Bernard Shaw, and two or three others that were equally interesting, if not as well known; Edward Bulwer-Lytton, in particular!

The staff were really lovely. Each and every one of them. I had a fascinating conversation with a lady that voluntered, along with her Husband, he was the curator for the museum and she, a retired teacher, now dressed up and gave lessons in the Victorian Gallery classrom. What a treat that must be to see!

I was the first visitor after re-opening post-Covid lockdown, so I didn't quite get the full experience, which is totally understandable, but I still thoroughly recommend a visit. Get lost in there for 3 hours and you won't regret learning all about Joseph Lancaster and his Monitorial School system. It's fantastic!

Thank you to every one that contributes time and effort toward making this little bit of British history...

We love this place! I hadn’t been for a few years since my older children were little, but now my youngest is school age, I decided to take her along. We were immediately greeted by Bea, who gave us a super friendly welcome. She immediately took us across to the Headmaster’s house and gave us a brief introduction of the school history, outside yard and the scullery. She then handed us over to Max who was absolutely fantastic - friendly, knowledgeable and brilliant with my daughter. He kept her engaged through the whole tour - not easy to do with a 4 year old! She really enjoyed handling the different objects in the house and the museum, especially the writing materials in the school rooms. We then stayed to play in the play areas and had lunch at the cafe. Again, the staff were lovely, there was a good selection of vegetarian options (we don’t always find this when out) and very reasonably priced. We’ll definitely come back again as there is just so much to do. A great place to spend a few hours, thank you for a...

We turned up on a day that tours were not usually given but the deputy curator, Max, kindly took us around as we had come a long way away. With great enthusiasm and knowledge we were guided round this unique group of buildings. It was part history lesson as to the origins of the education system and part reminiscence as to our own experience as we are in our mid seventies. The wealth of detail in the refurbished rooms and careful attention to detail is very atmospheric, enlightening and surprising. Max was good at listening to questions, observations and opinions as well as telling the story. A worthwhile and unique day out with plenty of food for thought. A small shop and cafe complete...