Skip to content

News and Views

student standing in front of display of artwork
Author
Alison Hilton
/
Published Date
November 22, 2019

My Country Arts Award

Find out how a placement student from Reading College created an exhibition at The MERL for Kids in Museum’s Takeover Day

Author
claireclough
/
Published Date
November 8, 2019

Exhibition causes quite a buzz!

Read about the latest fascinating acquisition by our museum’s library, the Cowan Bee Collection, and discover why it’s causing such a buzz!

archive photo of the Absolute Unit Exmoor ram for the Animerl autumn programme
Author
Alison Hilton
/
Published Date
September 9, 2019

AniMERL – an autumn of animals at The MERL

AniMERL – Discover an Autumn programme of events, exhibitions & activities on the theme of animals at the MERL, including a public lecture by Jimmy Doherty.

Black and white photograph showing a Fowler steam engine powering a cable plough in a field.
Author
/
Published Date
August 27, 2019

A Future for Fowler: steam collection conserved

Production registers and photograph albums from the important Fowler collection at The MERL have been conserved for future generations.

gamekeepers enjoying a picnic
Author
madeleineding
/
Published Date
July 8, 2019

Time to Picnic: Top 10 tips from The MERL

Do you enjoy going on a picnic? They are a great way to get outside and enjoy the countryside. Here are some tips from The MERL collection.

Author
ehunt
/
Published Date
July 8, 2019

How do you give medicine to a horse?

Explore several of the fascinating objects that The Museum of English Rural Life collected throughout June 2019.

two people playing the interactive game in the Our COuntry Lives gallery at The MERL
Author
Alison Hilton
/
Published Date
June 18, 2019

Aus Deutschland zu Besuch?

Aus Deutschland zu Besuch? Einige kurze Blogposts über das MERL, die von Germanistikstudierenden an der Universität Reading geschrieben wurden.

Exterior of a greenhouse at the Sidlesham Land Settlement Association
Author
/
Published Date
May 14, 2019

From Miners to Market Gardeners: the Story of the Sidlesham Land Settlement Association

Guest blogger Bill Martin explores the history of the Land Settlement Association at Sindlesham. The LSA archive is held at The MERL.

Laying drainage tiles (MERL P 3FW PH2/680/3)
Author
josefinabravo
/
Published Date
April 8, 2019

What lies beneath?

Anthropologist Paul Trawick delves into the role of field drains on English farms, and the ingenious role they play in how we farm.