People - The Museum of English Rural Life

The Road Ahead: our new Fellow, Dr Jo Clement

Read how our new MERL Fellow, Dr Jo Clement, is engaging with the Robert Dawson Romany Collection to explore the heritage of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people in England.

Changing Perspectives: Bringing Home the Bacon

In this entry in our Changing Perspectives blog series, we interview Flavian Obiero, aka The Kenyan Pig Farmer.

Changing Perspectives: Seeds of Change

Read about how a community gardening project in Dulwich Park is helping members to rebuild their relationships with land, food, and nature.

Changing Perspectives: A Kale of Two Cities

Learn about the differences between growing food in contemporary Hong Kong and London, and what it’s like to become a grower today.

Further Afield update blog – August 2024

Read the latest update from our Further Afield project, exploring how we can embrace and invite new perspectives within our interpretation.

Further Afield update blog – May 2024

Read our latest update on the Further Afield project, which trials new approaches to co-curation with community groups.

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.

The MERL is going Further Afield

Collections Researcher Tim Jerrome introduces our newest project at The MERL, Further Afield, which trials new approaches to community driven museum outputs, working with groups who have been historically underrepresented in the countryside.

Smoking Cap

This cap was manufactured in North America and is most likely associated with the Haudenosaunee nation, commonly known as the Iroquois Confederacy. Indigenous women would make items like smoking caps, moccasins and baskets for British visitors who could then return to the UK with souvenirs from North America and Canada. Smoking caps were popular in [...]

Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds Sash

This sash belonged to the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds; a Friendly Society founded in 1826 in Ashton-under-Lyme. Friendly Societies were created to provide help for local communities before there was any kind of public health care or financial support. Members paid a monthly fee that would go into a shared pot used when a [...]