Free
#129
Ragged School Museum
Atmospheric East End site telling the story of Victorian ‘ragged’ schools—free education for the poorest children—plus a recreated classroom and home interior.
Opening Hours
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
What's not to miss inside?
Victorian Classroom
Sit at sloped desks and experience the discipline and simplicity of 19th-century lessons.Learning with almost nothing.
📍 First floor
Life in One Room
Cramped beds, scant possessions—poverty made visible beyond statistics.Home as hardship.
📍 Domestic reconstruction
Movement & Mission
Panels and objects explain how charitable schools paved the way toward universal education.From charity to right.
📍 Intro galleries
Inspire your Friends
- School groups still ‘attend’ lessons here—role-play brings pedagogy and discipline into focus.
- The canalside location links to pupils’ real lives—dock and factory labour was steps away.
- Expect reading-heavy displays; pairing with a short guided talk balances text with story.
