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The Museum of English Rural Life

The MERL — a beloved and quietly brilliant free museum of English country life, part of the University of Reading, with the internet's favourite giant sheep.

Where
Reading Town Centre
Time needed
1-2 hr visit
Tickets
Free
Free entry
Yes
Threshing machinery display at The Museum of English Rural Life Threshing machinery display at The Museum of English Rural Life

What to expect at The Museum of English Rural Life

The Museum of English Rural Life — MERL to everyone — is a University of Reading museum in a converted Victorian villa on Redlands Road. Founded in 1951 to record a way of life then vanishing under mechanisation, it now holds the largest collection of English rural artefacts anywhere: 25,000 objects, from ploughs and shepherds' smocks to a full working wagon yard. In 2016 it went unexpectedly viral with a single tweet showing an 1890s photograph of an absurdly enormous sheep, and its social media has been quietly funny and much-loved ever since.

The redesigned galleries (£3 million refit, 2016) are themed A Year on the Farm, Making Rural England, Wagon Walk and Forces of Nature. Full-size traction engines, wagons, ploughs and threshing machines sit next to genuinely moving oral history displays about farm workers, gypsy families and land girls. There is a beautiful contemplative garden behind the museum, part of the historic villa's grounds. The library and archive upstairs (open to any visitor with photo ID) hold farming records back to the 17th century.

A 20-minute walk from Reading Station via London Road, or bus 21 direct. Entry is completely free. This is the ideal wet-afternoon museum — bright, warm, with a proper cafe (Pantry & Store) that does excellent flat whites and toasties, and a small shop full of woolly things. The garden is worth a wander in any weather. Combine with the university campus (Whiteknights, 15 min further south) which has its own art and cole museums. Family-friendly with backpack trails at the front desk.

Plan your visit TicketsFree Free entryYes Time needed1-2 hr visit WhereReading Town Centre Opening hours Tue-Fri 9:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00 Closed Mon Hotels near The Museum of English Rural Life

Questions about The Museum of English Rural Life

How much?

Free entry to all galleries and the garden.

Free hours?

Every hour it is open — permanent free admission.

How long?

1-2 hours for the galleries, plus longer if you use the cafe or garden.

Closed days?

Every Monday. Also closed 24 December to 2 January.

Booking?

No booking required. Groups over 10 should email ahead.

Nearest transport?

20-min walk from Reading Station via London Road; or bus 21 to Redlands Road, 2-min walk.

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