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Everything you need to knowFree outdoor learning
for children over 5Green Explorers
Book nowPlaying at farmingNew 'Model Farming' gallery now open
Explore the new gallerySchools and CollegesThe magic of
The MERL
Explore our schools programmeExplore the history of the English countryside
Welcome to The Museum of English Rural Life. We’re a free museum in the University of Reading that explores the history of the English countryside and its people. We were founded in 1951, at a time when the English countryside was rapidly changing. Ever since, we’ve collected objects, archives, and knowledge that help us to preserve, understand and share what life in the countryside was really like.
What's on
Did you know
...city families used to pick hops on holiday?
Hop picking holidays allowed city families to earn money. Pickers were paid with tokens, which were used in local shops or exchanged for wages.
Did you know
...Elizabethan mattresses were used for both childbirth and corpses?
Mattresses, plaited from sedges, were made to support a mother during childbirth or a corpse after death. After use it would have been burned.
Did you know
...farmers used to sow seeds by fiddle?
Sowing by hand can be slow and inaccurate. Seed drills were developed in the 1800s to sow seeds quickly in a straight line at regular intervals.
Did you know
...Lady Eve Balfour (1898-1990) was one of the earliest organic farmers and co-founded the Soil Association?
Women continue to play a key role in this movement, with organic farms employing significantly more women than chemical farming.
Did you know
...Suttons Seeds invented the seed packet?
The local Reading firm, founded in 1806, popularised paper packets of seeds for gardeners.
Did you know
...villages often used to run their own fire services?
The National Fire Service was only created in 1941.
Blog
Learn about the countryside, past and present. See how we work with people today to share new ways of understanding rural history.
Upland Commons: A Labour of Love
Learn about England's upland commons, their significance to culture and environment, and the many people who come together for their care.
Finding Common Ground
Samwel Nangiria Taresero, a Maasai community leader, recently visited The MERL and exchanged ideas with curator Dr. Ollie Douglas about how land is managed and shared, both in England and Tanzania.
Further Afield update blog – August 2024
Tea, walks and royal shows
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The Museum of English Rural Life
University of Reading
Redlands Road
Reading
RG1 5EX
