The Quaker educator, Joseph Lancaster founed his first Lancasterian school in London in 1798 encouraged by King George 111 who had stated that he wished that all the children might be able to read the Holy Bible.

The Lancasterian Teaching Room at Hitchin was built in 1837 to the exact design laid down by Lancaster. It accommodated 300 pupils, 30 monitors and 1 master in the one huge room.

The hall had a raked floor of brick so that it was higher at the back than at the front. The famous Lancaster semi-circles were placed in the wide side isles around the edges and marked by teaching posts. Light flooded into the room through windows placed above head height and illuminated the desks which filled the centre space.