Museums & Galleries · Berkshire
Museum Of English Rural Life
📍 RG1 5EY
Photo: Rose and Trev Clough (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Find 12 hidden rats in costumes around the galleries
- Weekly outdoor learning group for under 5s
- Evening after-hours event with tours, crafts and drinks
- Displays on a farming time capsule and future of farming
- Explore history of the English countryside and rural life
The Museum of English Rural Life, known as The MERL, explores the past and present of the English countryside and the people whose work has shaped it. You can see seasonal displays such as a farming time capsule, join family activities like the Rat Trail, or bring under-5s along to the weekly Friday Fledglings outdoor learning group. Adults can enjoy after-hours Winter Late events with tours and drinks. It suits families, history enthusiasts and anyone curious about rural heritage. The museum is based in Reading, close to Reading station (0.9 miles away), and if you're staying nearby there are 34 bookable places to stay within 5 miles on BritStays.
Practical details
- Best for
- Families with young children
From the attraction's own website on 25 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
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Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
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🎪 What's on near Museum Of English Rural Life
Events from
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Sun 13 Dec · 19:30
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Fri 15 Jan · 19:00
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🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Museum Of English Rural Life into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
🚆 Or come by train
- Reading 0.9 miles
- Reading West 1.4 miles
- Earley 1.9 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page