The landmark exhibition opens on 10th September, marking the first time in almost 1,000 years that the 70-metre medieval embroidery has been in England. School visits can be booked for up to 40 learners, with education resources available to explore the events of 1066 and everyday medieval life.
We now know that for the first time the historic Tapestry will be laid flat in one continuous length, with digital elements bringing the Norman Conquest story to life.
The British Museum said that viewing it flat will “allow audiences to fully appreciate the scale of this spectacular and one-of-a-kind medieval embroidery”. It has previously been displayed vertically and from 1700 until 1842, the Tapestry was usually rolled out for academics and important individuals to see.
Digital elements in the display, which is open until July 2027, will also bring the stories behind the Tapestry to life “in a new and imaginative way”.
About the Bayeux Tapestry
The embroidery depicts the events leading to the Battle of Hastings and the defeat of Harold Godwinson by William the Conqueror.
As one of the wonders of the medieval world, it offers audiences the opportunity to explore not only the story it tells, but also who is telling it, and what has been included – or left out. With its complex political, cultural, and historical layers, the Bayeux Tapestry provides a rich source of insight for students.
School visits to see the Bayeux Tapestry
Schools can book timed slots for visits between September and December with a maximum group of 40 (including students and accompanying adults).
Education resources will be available in September and the museum has also provided a set of guiding questions to help schools make the most of their time and to help with reflection and discussion after a visit.
These include; what events and people have been included - or not; why the Tapestry was made; and what we can learn about every day early medieval life.
Hope that the Tapestry will inspire all of us
The once-in-a-generation show has been made possible by the generous support of investor and entrepreneur Igor Tulchinsky, founder, chairman, and CEO of WorldQuant. He said: “One of the reasons I decided to sponsor this crucially important exhibition of British history was to allow art to be seen and to change the lives of those who see it.
“The embroidery demonstrates such a mastery of craft. The symmetries and proportions show careful calculation. Its chronological structure reveals something equally sophisticated: a modern sense of causality and sequence. It is a narrative about decisions made under uncertainty, about commitments made before their consequences can be known.
“I hope that the Tapestry inspires us all to recognise the value of what endures and to continue to dream about what we might build, what we might preserve, and what we might make possible for those who come after us.”
Giving wider context of medieval England
The Bayeux Tapestry Experience will feature objects from the museum’s own collection, alongside other significant loans, putting the Tapestry into the wider context of medieval England and the events surrounding the Norman Conquest.
“One of the reasons I decided to sponsor this crucially important exhibition of British history was to allow art to be seen and to change the lives of those who see it.”
Investor and entrepreneur Igor Tulchinsky
Loans include a charter of Edward the Confessor of 1060 granting lands in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, to Westminster Abbey. The document, written in Latin and Old English, is witnessed by several individuals who appear in the Tapestry, including King Edward ‘the Confessor’, Harold’s sister, Queen Edith, Archbishop Stigand, Earl Harold and his brother Gyrth; both shown in the Tapestry being killed at the Battle of Hastings.
For more information about school visits to The Bayeux Tapestry experience click here.
