The Museum of English Rural Life
  • merl@reading.ac.uk
  • +44 (0) 118 378 8660
The Museum of English Rural Life
  • Shop
  • About us
  • News and Views
  • Commercial Services
University of Reading
  • Visit us
    • Opening Times
    • Getting here
    • Accessibility
    • Galleries and Floorplan
    • Visiting the Archive and Library
    • The MERL Cafe
    • Shop
    • The Garden
    • Families
    • Group Visits
  • What’s On
    • The MERL Lates
    • New Online What’s On guide
  • Explore
    • Discover
    • Online Exhibitions
  • Collections
    • Search and Browse
      • Search our databases
      • Persons and Institutions
    • Teaching with Collections
    • Donating to the collections
    • Collections Projects
      • Rethinking Technical Change
      • Collections-based PhD Training
      • Museum of the Intangible
      • Fellowship Scheme
  • Learn
    • Students
    • Adult Groups
    • Families
    • Schools and Colleges
      • Self-directed school groups
      • School resources
        • Why does the countryside look like it does?
        • What was farming like before modern technology?
        • What was it like to be a child in the countryside?
        • What industries have put Reading on the map?
        • How are different machines, tools and objects, past and present, used in country life?
        • Where have all our songbirds gone?
        • What was it like moving from town to country as an evacuee?
        • How did rural work change over the 20th century?
        • What is the future of our countryside?
      • Plan your school visit
        • School Enquiry confirmation
      • Hands-On Workshops for Schools
  • Communities
    • Forums
    • Schools Projects
    • Student Opportunities
    • Volunteer
      • Now recruiting
    • Community Projects
      • Garden Projects
      • Nutrition, Health and Rural England
      • Reminiscence
      • Community Platforms
      • Transforming Poultry Heritage
      • Test Bed
      • Code Club
      • Hands on Rural Heritage
      • Cultural Commissioning
      • Artist Residencies
        • ‘Rough Music’ Project with Pete Flood
      • Conservation of the John Fowler and Co (Leeds) Ltd archive
  • Shop
  • About us
  • News and Views
  • Commercial Services
Search
University of Reading
The MERL > Collections > Collections Projects

Collections Projects

About the museum

The Museum of English Rural Life at the University of Reading uses its diverse collections to explore how the skills and experiences of rural people, past and present, help shape our lives.

MERL is grateful to its major funders, the University of Reading , Research England and Arts Council England

merl@reading.ac.uk

+44 (0) 118 378 8660

Information

  • Privacy & Cookies
  • Terms of use
  • Contact Us

Newsletters

Use the form below to select the newsletters you would like to receive!

Museum of English Rural Life © Copyright 2020

Obergine

  • Opening Times

    View Opening times

    Free Admission

    There is a charge for some events.

    • Redlands Road, Reading
    Did you know?

    Hop picking holidays allowed city families to earn money. Pickers were paid with tokens, which were used in local shops or exchanged for wages.

  • Visit us

    Visit Us

    The Museum reopened in October 2016, following a major redevelopment, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

    Free Admission

    The Museum of English Rural Life

    University of Reading

    Redlands Road

    Reading

    RG1 5EX

    Plan my visit
    • We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy