News and Views

Discover stories from our collections, work, research, and events. Warning: may contain absolute units.

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.

Close up of the label on a jar of Absolute Unit Mint Jelly, featuring famous twitter image of the ram from the MERL archive
Author
Alison Hilton
/
Published Date
April 5, 2019

The Jam Lady – Keeping Jam Relevant

Sarah Roy, The Jam Lady, writes about jam-making as she launches her new Absolute Unit Mint Jelly an exclusive product now for sale in The MERL shop

Author
fionamelhuish
/
Published Date
March 8, 2019

How to be rural: pop-up exhibition on Thomas Tusser and agricultural instruction

Bone shaker bicycle featured image for Get out into the Countryside blog
Author
madeleineding
/
Published Date
March 8, 2019

Get out … into the countryside

Have you noticed that the days are staying lighter for longer? Is spring just around the corner? Do you want to get out into the countryside?

A bat being held in a white gloved hand.
Author
josefinabravo
/
Published Date
February 24, 2019

So we found a live bat in our archive

Joseph Arch's plaster-cast hands against a black background.
Author
josefinabravo
/
Published Date
February 12, 2019

The mystery of Joseph Arch’s plaster hands

Joseph Arch was the first agricultural labourer to become an MP, and led the National Agricultural Labourers Union. The MERL holds his plaster-cast hands.

Close up black and white photograph of brick steps at the Brunel Estate
Author
/
Published Date
January 9, 2019

Brunel Estate Landscape: The essence of Michael Brown

Guest blogger Colin Moore explores the work of landscape architect Michael Brown on children’s play areas at West London’s Brunel Estate.

A pot figure made by Steven Claydon for his exhibition at the Museum of English Rural Life.
Author
josefinabravo
/
Published Date
December 17, 2018

Get out of London and come to Reading

HJ for Hannah James written on the sole of new dancing clogs lying on their side on the stage at the MERL Annual Lecture
Author
Alison Hilton
/
Published Date
December 5, 2018

‘Muscle Memory: the story of a pair of clogs’ by Hannah James

Find out about the clogs made for Hannah James and watch her performance of Muscle Memory, a new work for the MERL Annual Lecture on intangible heritage