Public - The Museum of English Rural Life

Together Stronger

A collaborative artwork by young people whose parents live with early-onset dementia.

Annual Symposium with the Friends of the Landscape Archive Reading (FOLAR)

The symposium is devoted to an examination and discussion of the public health benefits of gardens and the wider landscape, from the gardens and farms of nineteenth century “lunatic asylums”, to municipal provision of healthcare in interwar Bermondsey which ranged from tuberculosis gardens, to street beautification to playgrounds and parks, to the landscape of NHS […]

Our Green Stories Gallery Tours – November

Curator of MERL Collections, Dr Ollie Douglas, will be joined by a different specialist for each of these tours. Together they will take visitors on a short conversational trip through the galleries, exploring our collections, and sharing Green Stories about environment, climate action, social justice, and the life and future of the planet. Each tour will […]

Closer Look: Conversations with a Conservator

Drawing of a seated male nude and two arms by Jacopo Bertoia

Join museum and gallery experts, including curators, conservators, and scholars, for a free, online deep dive into a selection of objects in the University of Reading’s Art Collection. In each talk, we will take a closer look at a specific work of art and hear new insights and untold stories from our specialist speakers. You’ll […]

Our Green Stories Gallery Tours – October

Labour of Love

Over one third of England’s moorland is ‘common land’ – managed and cared for by many farmers and organisations and accessed by millions. These upland commons are crucial for England’s rural cultures and natural ecosystems, yet are often poorly understood. What does it take to care well for them? How might farming and nature recovery [...]

Do Not Feed the Animals?

People all over the world feed animals every day, whether caring for pets or livestock, for conservation, for fun, or by accident. But what happens when so many people feed so many animals for so long? What happens to the people, to the animals, and the environment? Do Not Feed the Animals? explores questions of [...]

Closer Look: Conversations with a Curator

Drawing of a standing female nude, graphite on paper.

Museum Shop Sunday

Christmas cards and products on display in the MERL gift shop

Do this year's Christmas shopping in style on Museums Shop Sunday, an international day dedicated to the joy of visiting museum gift shops. Plus, buy your gifts knowing that every single purchase supports our work in creating museum experiences and opportunities for people across Reading.

Magical Lights

star shaped lights on a green hedge background

Wrap up the year with an evening of lights and lanterns in the museum garden. Choose from two versions: the main event (6pm to 7:30pm), or an earlier session with sensory provisions for neurodivergent visitors and their loved ones (4:30pm to 5:45pm). Magical Lights 6pm - 7:30pm Celebrate the end of the year with crafts, [...]