Getting here
Special Collections is accessed via the reception of The Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL), which is located on Redlands Road, on the University of Reading London Road Campus.
- Car
- Train
- Bus
- Bike
- Foot
Sat nav users, please use the postcode RG1 5EX
Parking
We encourage visitors to use alternative methods of transport to get here, but if you need to come by car, some parking is available.
There is a small car park for visitors at the front of our building.
Visitors are also welcome to use the University Acacia Road car park adjacent to the Museum. Visitors without a University parking permit must collect a permit from the Museum reception, to be displayed in your car. During University term time and on Friday mornings this car park can be very busy.
Some street parking is available on Redlands Road. There is a maximum stay of 2 hours. Due to the proximity of the Hospital, this parking is in high demand.
The closest public car park is the Queens Road car park.
Reading’s mainline station has recently undergone a major refurbishment, making travelling to the town by train easier and more enjoyable. Reading is easily accessible by regular, fast trains from London Paddington, as well as via London Waterloo. It is well connected by routes from the North, South and West via Bournemouth, Bristol, Oxford, Guildford and Basingstoke.
Reading Buses operate several services which stop close to the Museum.
From the station and Reading town centre:
Leopard 3 or Scarlet 9 from stop AS at the station. Get off the bus outside the Reading Berkshire Hospital on Craven Road or as soon as the bus turns right onto Addington Road.
From there it is a 3 minute walk to The MERL:
- Go to the end of Addington Road and turn right on to Redlands Road
- Walk down and cross at the zebra crossing
- Walk 200m down the road and you will find The MERL on your left.
Claret 21 or 21A from stop EJ. Get off the bus at Crown Place passage stop on Kendrick Road.
From there it is a 3 minute walk to The MERL:
- Continue a few metres up the road and turn left into Crown Place passage, just before the Abbey School
- The passage becomes Acacia Road car park
- Continue down the side of the Museum building to the end of the road and the entrance is on the right.
Visit Reading Buses for details or use Google Maps to plan your journey by bus
We have a secure bike rack in the car park by the main entrance to the Museum.
The MERL is about a 20 minute walk from Reading station.
The walk from The University’s Whiteknights campus takes 15-20 minutes.
Use Google Maps to plan your route to The MERL.
