Museum of English Rural Life

The museum's site was originally occupied by a house known as East Thorpe, designed in 1880 by Alfred Waterhouse for Alfred Palmer (of the Reading biscuit manufacturers Huntley & Palmers). Palmer was an important early benefactor of Reading University and in 1911 East Thorpe was extended to become St Andrew's Hall, a hall of residence for women attending the university. The museum itself was founded in 1951, growing out of the university's long academic connections with agriculture. The founding objects of the museum came from the collections of H. J. Massingham and Lavinia Smith. It originally occupied premises on the University of Reading's main Whiteknights Campus, The Museum officially…

The new museum at Redlands Road opened in 2005 and retains the original East Thorpe building, with the addition of an adjoining new building. The two contrasting buildings overlook restored gardens, providing a setting for a rural collection in an urban environment. The Museum officially reopened on 22 October 2016 with ten new galleries, including a gallery dedicated to Ladybird Books artwork held by the University of Reading Special Collections. In February 2019, a bat was found on the museum's premises. The museum named the bat MERLin and issued him a library card. To mark their 70th year, the museum worked with artists and writers from different communities on 51 Voices, enabling…