Monthly Archives: July 2021

Face to Face

What was school like in the past?

Was it as scary as they say?

The only way to find out is try it yourself!

Bring the family to meet one of our historical teachers and join a lesson as part of your museum visit – you can even plan a trip to the tea room afterwards to console yourselves and swap schooldays stories!

Remaining sessions still available:

Saturday 28 August     Mrs. Wilson’s Wartime Classroom

All lessons start at 1.30pm and last 45 minutes.

All adults £5.  Up to two children (with one adult) free.  Subsequent children £2.

Booking required – telephone (01652) 635172

Back to School!

Lockdown seemed as good a time as any to shake things up a little.

And the National Lottery Heritage Fund has helped us – so, thank you!

After our first decade we thought it was time to re-open by re-telling the fascinating story of the School’s unique link with Samuel Wilderspin and his Infant System – back in the early 1800s.

We’ve re-shaped your visit so you’ll go “back to school”, straight into the world’s only reconstruction Mr. Wilderspin’s Model Infant School of 1845.

Then new displays and historical classroom settings tell the story of the Barton Church School, including a new Wartime Classroom showing the part played by the School in the Second World War.

You can help too – tell us what you think about our re-telling of the Wilderspin Story.  We’ll then look at things again over the summer and tweak things further in time for a big bash in September as part of Heritage Open Days.

Back to School!

Follow in the footsteps of the Victorian children who came to school here full of trepidation and excitement, through from the School Yard and into School, then explore Mr. Wilderspin’s Infant Schoolroom.

Who used the finger-stocks in the Victorian Classroom?

What’s hidden in the desks in the Wartime Classroom?

What was school like for your mum, dad and grandparents?

Explore the world’s only reconstruction of Mr. Wilderspin’s Model Infant School.