Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) Reading
Overview
To be honest, I haven't visited since my children were small and then it was located in a different part of the campus. The plan is to get there when they open at 10, have a coffee and tour the site, afterwards we can pop into The Dairy which is right next door and get a drink and a bite to eat.
Entrance is free, but they do suggest a donation of £5 which seems a small price to pay for an interesting Sunday afternoon. I look forward to seeing some of you there.
Includes
- Spice Host
Extras
- Free admission but £5 donation suggested
- Any refreshments or merchandise
The Museum of English Rural Life houses the most comprehensive national collection of objects, books and archives relating to the history of food, farming and the countryside.
There are 12 galleries to explore: Shaping the Land; A Year on the Farm; Town and Country; Making Rural England; Collecting Rural England; Model Farming; Forces for Change; Our Country Lives; Wagon Walk; Digging deeper – ploughs; Digging Deeper – open store; The Ladybird Gallery
You can use this link to see more about each gallery Galleries & Floorplan
In addition because of this year’s global celebrations to mark 250 years of Jane Austen,
from 9 September, view our Jane Austen and Rural Life display to see a rare letter by Jane to her sister Cassandra (one of just 160 letters to survive Austen’s death), or follow a trail through our galleries connecting Austen’s life and work to the countryside.
Location & Itinerary
The Cafe
Enjoy hot and cold drinks, snacks, and sweet treats, with seating both indoors and in the museum garden.
We proudly stock and support independent and environmentally-friendly businesses, both locally and from across the South East. Our range includes makers like Tregothnan Tea (the first tea grown and blended in Cornwall), Warings (Reading’s oldest bakery), Reads Coffee of North Dorset, and Mortimer Chocolate (hot chocolate produced here in Reading).
The Dairy
A simple menu with small plates, burgers, mains and sides, plus a selection of real ales.
| Type | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Member | £0.00 | Available |
| Non Member | £0.00 | Available |
Not enough spaces left for you? Join the waitlist
Host & Everything Else
Gallery
