the museum of english rural life (the merl)
The Museum of English Rural Life is owned and managed by the University of
Reading. We use our diverse and surprising collection to explore how the skills
and experiences of farmers and craftspeople, past and present, can help shape
our lives now and into the future. We work alongside rural people, local
communities and specialist researchers to create displays and activities that
engage with important debates about the future of food and the ongoing relevance
of the countryside to all our lives. We were established by academics in the
Department of Agriculture in 1951 to capture and record the rapidly changing
countryside following World War II. The Museum is based on Redlands Road in a
building originally designed by Sir Alfred Waterhouse in 1880 for local
businessman Alfred Palmer, of the Huntley & Palmer biscuit company. The house
then became St Andrews Hall of Residence in 1911, and in 2005 a modern extension
was built onto the house for the Museum. The Museum was awarded £1.8million from
the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in 2014 for the redevelopment of the galleries,
reopening in October 2016. The redevelopment strengthens and renews our links
with agriculture as well as enhancing our position in supporting engagement
opportunities for students and academics across a wide variety of disciplines,
nationally and internationally. The MERL and Reading Museum are currently in a
strategic partnership as part of the Arts Council England National Portfolio
2018-2022. As Museums Partnership Reading we work together to provide cultural
opportunities for Reading’s young people and diverse communities, through
schools, volunteering, digital engagement and exhibitions. PLANS AND POLICIES
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