The Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL) in Reading, Berkshire, has opened a new series of displays that tell the stories of people who have fought to protect the local countryside over the last hundred years. The year-long programme focuses on the human side of rural life, moving away from displays centred on farming tools to highlight activists, local groups and community campaigns.
The exhibits include newly archived personal journals and other personal records from farmers, farm workers, land girls and activists who campaigned to save the landscape. The programme also presents material on the Swing Riots of 1830 — a widespread uprising by agricultural and rural workers across southern and eastern England that affected Berkshire and other counties. Visitors can learn about the history of rural conservation and the organisations that have defended the voices of the countryside through new displays, workshops and events.
The museum, owned and managed by the University of Reading, is working with Reading Museum as part of Museums Partnership Reading — a collaboration supported by Arts Council England — to reach more people across the town and borough. One of the programme’s features is the Our Green Stories gallery trail, which connects historical events and collections to modern environmental issues.
The programme launched on 5 January 2026, and its exhibits, workshops and events are scheduled to run throughout the 2026 calendar year at The MERL on Redlands Road, Reading.
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