🎃 How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse (at The Museum of English Rural Life)
For centuries, tools like billhooks, forks, and saws kept rural people housed and warm. They’re also perfect for the zombie apocalypse.
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
Dr Ollie Douglas (MERL Curator) and Samwel Nangiria Taresero (a Maasai community leader) exchange ideas about land use and land management during a visit to the museum.
The Power to Tell It for Ourselves
Acquisition, cataloguing and display are vital matters of consent. Learn how we’re evolving our approach throughout our work.
Cattle, colonialism, and conversations about land
MERL Curator, Dr Ollie Douglas explores connections between The MERL and British agricultural influence in East Africa following a trip to Kenya and Tanzania last year.
Glow Up! St Andrew’s Staircase Hall Redevelopment Project
For the first time in twenty years, St Andrew’s Hall has been presented anew. Visitors – including University staff, students and the general public – can now discover books, archives and artworks from the Museum of English Rural Life’s Library and Archive, Special Collections and University Art Collections.
Ploughs and Ploughing: some reflections from the headland
On Plough Monday, MERL Curator, Dr Ollie Douglas, discusses his appearance on Radio 4 Farming Today’s special programme on ploughing, and the MERL’s collection of ploughs.
Advising the Nation: the MAFF bulletins
As the project to catalogue The MERL’s collection of bulletins published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is completed, Collections Librarian, Claudia Ricci explores the history and significance of the publications.
Yule never baa-lieve it: a case for the Yule Goat at Christmas
The MERL’s Collections Researcher, Tim Jerrome investigates pagan influence on Christmas traditions, and asks why we don’t include the Yule Goat in our celebrations in England.
From Britain to South Africa (and back again)
Discover fascinating details from a recently digitised series of extraordinary mid-century photographs that provide evidence to fill gaps in the history of some of the most iconic items now held in the collection of The MERL.