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The Ragged School Museum was on our list of places to visit ever since we saw the Barbados Children’s Memorial in one of London’s Magnificent Seven Cemeteries, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, which is a 10- to 15-minute walk east.
It reminded us a little of Blists Hill, with its Victorian schoolroom.
After all, it’s from the same era, which is fascinating.
The Victorian era shaped many aspects of our lives that we still experience and benefit from today, including railways, electricity, communication, and, of course, free education.
The latter played a significant part in the decline of ragged schools.
There’s something intriguing about these places as well.
Perhaps it’s a world that no longer exists in the same way, or maybe it’s that they have shaped the way we live our lives today, minus the digital technology.
The Victorians were pioneers, as was Bernardo with the Ragged Schools.
Ragged School Museum
The museum is situated in three original 19th-century canal-side warehouses in London’s East End.
Opened in 1877 as Copperfield Road Ragged School, it was the largest of all the ragged schools.
The museum preserves the site of the largest of Barnardo’s Ragged Schools and tells the inspiring story of Dr Thomas John Barnardo and his mission to never turn a child in need away.
The Ragged Schools, founded in 1867, offered free education, meals, clothing, and sometimes lodging to poverty-stricken children, educating up to 3400 children in a week.
Bernardo’s story is an inspiring one, and the Ragged School Museum tells it in great detail.
Barnardo’s efforts were motivated by his observations of the hardship faced by children in the East End, and he dedicated his life to helping them, raising a staggering amount of money along the way.
By the time of his death in 1905, it’s estimated that Barnardo raised over ยฃ3 million.
According to the Bank of England Inflation Calculator, that’s over ยฃ300 million today.
What’s Inside?
The first thing you will see is a wall in the lobby containing over 50 portraits of children.
Although Barnardo didn’t take them himself, photography played an influential and sometimes controversial role in his mission.
It was a strategic tool to raise awareness, evoke empathy, and secure funding for the children in his care.
He was a pioneer, creating before-and-after photographs of the children to show their differences and demonstrate that the donations made a difference.
However, Barnardo was taken to court in 1877, accused of misrepresentation, but he was cleared, defending his methods as a means to a morally right and fair end.
Inside the rest of the museum, you’ll find several rooms to explore, including an exhibition space that tells the story of Barnardo, the Ragged Schools, and the lives of some of the children who passed through the school.
You’ll find a few items in the exhibition, such as Barnado’s filing cabinet, which still contains his handwritten notes.
Upstairs, you’ll find the museum’s highlight, the Victorian classroom.
Interestingly, the classroom is still in use today, albeit not in the same way.
The museum attracts school groups from far and wide to take a lesson in the classroom.
They get to experience slate writing boards and chalk, blackboards and even an abacus.
If a school group is in, you won’t have access to the classroom, but you can peer through the windows.
Downstairs, you’ll find the cafe, which is open to the public from the towpath, meaning you don’t need a ticket to get your caffeine fix or a spot of lunch.
Visitor Information
๐ 46-50 Copperfield Rd, London, E3 4RR
๐ท Adults ยฃ5, children & concessions ยฃ2.50
๐ raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk
๐ Wed to Sun, 10 am โ 5 pm
๐ 02089 806405
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