Reading museum reopens after £3-million refit

A museum dedicated to English Rural life reopens today after a three million pound redevelopment. Based at the University of Reading - it houses a collection of more than a million items.

The museum of rural life is the first dedicated to agriculture and rural life. The redevelopment will create an enlarged education studio, an open access collections area and new features in the garden including a shepherd's hut and community growing spaces. The museum has also transformed its public displays, with nine new galleries. Each one explores a different theme including a year on the farm, forces for change and wagon walk & digging deeper. There are also stories, archive film and photographs from rural lives.

The museum was established in 1951 and grew out of the University of Reading's long tradition of academic excellence in agriculture. The work has been partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.