Hanging by a Thread: The Precarious History of the Bayeux Tapestry, 1066-2026

The  Bayeux Tapestry is a unique artefact, both in its content and in its story of survival against all the odds for almost a thousand years. Ostensibly it tells the story of the Battle of Hastings and the events leading up to the conflict in an accessible format, and brings the events of 1066 to life. It is, however, much more than a straightforward narrative. It provides intricate details of many aspects of life in the early Middle Ages. Other contemporary medieval wall coverings that adorned church walls and stories of battles have long since disappeared. The current exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry in London is just the latest episode in the tale of this remarkable treasure.

This lecture will trace the story of the Tapestry from its origins in 11th century Canterbury,  through its annual display in Bayeux Cathedral during the Middle Ages, to its endurance in the face of neglect, abuse, fire, revolution and attempted theft through to the present day. For many centuries it was virtually unknown outside its home city of Bayeux and it only first appears in documents four hundred years after it was antiquarian interest in it revived. Napoleon used the tapestry as a propaganda instrument in his war against Britain and it was exploited again in the Second World War by the Nazis. Its very presence in England today is part of the recent Brexit story.

Over the past century the tapestry has been studied in depth, including the detailed scientific analysis of its fabric, but much remains to be discovered. When it returns to Normandy in 2027 it will be housed in a bespoke museum in Bayeux, available for all to see and study, where it will remain as an object of endless speculation and mystery.

Please note: this event will close to enrolments at 23:59 BST on 13 October 2026.