Bayeux Around Britain exhibition opens at Exeter's museum

A NEW display exploring the history around the Norman invasion has opened at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter.

From now until July 11, 2027, Exeter City Council's Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM) will be displaying objects from the collection connected to the Bayeux Tapestry and Norman Exeter.

This display and associated programming, alongside digital assets from The British Museum, will be part of the nationwide “Bayeux Around Britain” programme, facilitated by The British Museum and supported by WorldQuant.

The Bayeux Tapestry is a 70-metre-long masterpiece telling the story of the conquest of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy. The embroidery, in wool thread on linen cloth, was created in the UK and dates back to the 11th century.

Through 58 scenes, 626 characters and 202 horses, the Tapestry gives an account of the medieval period in Normandy and England like no other. It provides information about civil and military architecture, armour and seafaring in the Viking tradition, as well as precious details of everyday life.

Exeter has strong historical ties with France, and archaeological finds from the city tell parallel stories of the Norman invasion to those in the tapestry.

The Bayeux Around Britain display in RAMM will show a selection of those finds.

The main characters from the tapestry, Edward the Confessor, Harold II and William I, are depicted on coins minted in Exeter from the period. The pottery excavated from Exeter shows both Saxon and Norman types, and examples of pots made by a French potter who lived in Exeter before the Norman Conquest.

The display also includes fragments of the new architecture that the Normans brought with them.

The Bayeux Tapestry is on display at The British Museum until July 11, 2027.