The importance of Pestalozzianism in the development of Continental European education has been long acknowledged, but less work has been done on the impact and interpretation of Pestalozzian ideas in Britain. The paper utilises a case study of the Worksop Pestalozzian Institution in Nottinghamshire to explore how Pestalozzian practices were adopted and adapted. Sources utilised include the remarkable letters of the Marling brothers, pupils at the school during the 1830s, which shed fascinating light upon curriculum and practices and the experiences of the students. The study shows how the naturalistic and experiential methods were adopted at Worksop that utilised the local landscape and industry in order to teach natural history, improve the physical health and inculcate early-Victorian moral and social values. It argues that one of the most important intellectual impacts of the school was upon the work of the Spencers William George and Herbert, the latter regarding it as an 'English Hofwyl' and using it as a model for the composition of his influential book on education.