Sunday, 21 September

Heritage Open Days at The MERL 2025: Views and Vistas

Curator-led pop-up displays at The MERL

By The Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL)

Select date and time

Location

The Museum of English Rural Life

6 Redlands Road Reading RG1 5EX United Kingdom

About this event

Book into one of these special events for a unique chance to view pop-up displays of items from the University of Reading’s Special Collections and Art Collections, housed at The MERL site and not currently on public display.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at some of the stories, artworks, and archives of architecture selected by our curators, librarians and archivists.

The Staircase Hall exhibition space will also be open to view the current Special Collections and Art exhibitions.

Additional Information

Free
Booking required
Book an hour long slot starting at 11.00am or 12:00pm
Suitable for adults

Image credit: ‘Brooklyn Suspension Bridge’ 1912, Max Weber. University of Reading Art Collection

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Organised by

The Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL)

The MERL was established in Reading in 1951 to capture and record the rapidly changing countryside following World War II. In 2005, it moved to its current premises in St Andrew’s Hall, a building designed by Sir Alfred Waterhouse in 1880 for local businessman Alfred Palmer of the Huntley & Palmer biscuit company.

Today the Museum uses its 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. The Museum has worked 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.

The MERL belongs to the University of Reading Museums and Special Collections Service (UMASCS).