Objects

The Museum of English Rural Life holds one of the the earliest and best surviving collections of its kind.

This includes many unique and early farm tools, objects connected with rural crafts and trades, artworks depicting rural subjects, and material that helps us to explore how life in the twentieth century English countryside has been understood and represented.

From the first object acquired when the museum was founded in 1951—a simple animal bell—to the most recent, these holdings now number almost 30,000 items. Although most of these artefacts date to between around 1850 and 1950, the collection aims to cover the period 1750 to the present day. As such it continues to grow, largely by donation.

As a result of our recent redevelopment a wider variety of objects now feature in the MERL displays than ever before. The remainder are held in stores, which visitors can browse as part of the Digging Deeper gallery. You can also explore our collection on our databases, or through the Explore section of the website.

Mattress (MERL 61/242)

Mattress

Date

1600s

Object Number

61/242

Man trap (MERL 62/403)

Man Trap

Object Number

62/403

Giant Teapot

Date

1945–1946

Object Number

MERL 60/638/1-3

Plaster cast hands (MERL 75/16)

PLASTER CAST HANDS

Date

1875-1899

Object Number

75/16/1-2

Turnwrest plough (MERL 55/786)

Turn Wrest Plough

Object Number

55/786

A black and white photograph of a Ferguson tractor sitting in the old museum galleries on Whiteknights campus, University of Reading.

Ferguson Tractor

Date

1948

Object Number

80/68

Womens Land Army Uniform

Date

1939-1947

Object Number

88/44/1-2

Detail of flail joint (MERL 59/420)

Flail

Object Number

59/420

Sutton's Seeds display cabinet

Suttons Seeds Display Cabinet

Date

1800s

Object Number

2004/27

Miller’s Wagon

Date

circa 1880

Object Number

51/1295

Wagoner's belt (MERL 56/313)

Wagoner’s Belt

Date

c.1900-1925

Object Number

56/313