Category Archives: Uncategorized

Image credit: the Food Museum In December 2025, we invited everyone to join us to hear how two RMN member organisations are approaching Audit and Rationalisation in their museums – one at the start of their journey with small objects, … Continue reading →

Image credit: A tractor, as seen in The Mall, London, during the farm protests in November 2024. The tractor is adorned with a sign reading ‘The Final Straw’ (Photo by Felicity McWilliams). Moments of rural unrest can be long-simmering or … Continue reading →

Ploughing on Aylestone Hill, Hereford, c.1920s (Basil Butcher / Derek Foxton) Following our AGM in October 2025, we were delighted to welcome Bob Powell, a specialist in historic farming and vernacular buildings, but primarily heavy horses. He is a former … Continue reading →

In May 2025, a joint Rural Museums Network and International Association of Agricultural Museums (AIMA) sharing event. The Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL) at the University of Reading, UK, welcomed both Rural Museum Network and AIMA members to see the … Continue reading →

Image credit: Dingwall Museum The indigenous languages of the British Isles carry with them history and culture which can bring depth to museum collections, interpretations and community outreach. But to non-speakers they can often feel daunting. During a seminar held in … Continue reading →

Image credit: Straw craftsmen Fred Mizen, copyright Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is a tradition, practice, or living expression of a group or community, inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants. This can … Continue reading →

Rural Relevance: How to identify, care for & share rural collections Free Training: Thursday 21 March 2024 1-3pm, Online Do you want to feel more confident about using your rural collection in a greater range of stories and activities, creating … Continue reading →

Image credit: The Museum of English Rural Life/University of Reading The Rural Museums Network’s Autumn Rural Voices seminar series concluded with the opportunity to hear from four leaders in their field as we critically examined the issues of contemporary and near-collecting … Continue reading →

Image credit: The Museum of English Rural Life/University of Reading The Rural Museums Network’s autumn Rural Voices seminar series continued with the chance to hear from three curators who have developed prominent food-themed temporary exhibitions. This session was hosted by Guy Baxter, … Continue reading →