Event: Museum of English Rural Life walking tour

Join myself and Curator of the MERL (Museum of English Rural Life) Collections, Dr. Ollie Douglas for a conversational ‘walking tour’ of nature with a difference! We will trace and unearth the connections between land caretaking and touch in England through objects held within the museums archives. 

Drawing from my PhD research we will be reflecting on the ways we have become increasingly ‘out of touch’ with the soils, waters and airs of England through time and 'in touch' with them on new and often problematic terms...

As we walk through the galleries and handle a pop-up selection of artefacts, we’ll consider the roles of touch in ecological stewardship and contemplate - who is permitted to get ‘hands on’ in rural environments? What can handling artefacts as a method reveal to us? What are the implications of not / touching nature? 

How might recognising and coming into contact with intangible heritage help us to make tangible connections in a precarious world?

Tuesday 8 July 2025 // 11.30am - 12.30pm // The Museum of English Rural Life, Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX

Door-to-door the Museum is 15 min by bus or a 22 min walk.  Booking not necessary but appreciated so we have an idea of numbers.