Making Rural England

Question what country life means to you

We come to think of rural life in many different ways. We invite you to reconsider popular images of the countryside through exploring the diversity of rural people and their ways of life.

Appreciate the art and utility of traditional crafts both in the past and their role today. Contrast the cosy farmhouse kitchen – complete with Cath Kidston wallpaper – with the often harsh reality of labourer cottages.

In this gallery you may be empathising with the fight for workers’ rights one moment, and revisiting your childhood memories of the countryside the next.

The MERL Google Streetview Tour

Activities in this gallery

Listen to voices and views

Select a county and explore the past through audio and images, including from the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

Watch films about rural crafts

The woodworking section features a screen showing craftspeople talking about their skills

Browse the photobooks

Here, and in other galleries, you’ll find large photobooks with more images from our photographic collections