WHILE tickets to see the British Museum’s Bayeux Tapestry exhibition in London this autumn are sold out, a Reading institution is stepping in to give people the chance to see the tapestry up close.
Visit Reading and Reading Museum have teamed up to bring new tours of the UK’s only full replica back to the town next year.
Britain’s replica Bayeux Tapestry was created by Victorian women 140 years ago and is identical to the Norman original in almost every aspect.
Completed in June 1886, the tapestry, which like the original isn’t really a tapestry at all but an embroidery, found its permanent home in Reading Museum in 1895.
The tapestry was stitched by 35 Victorian ladies based on tracings from full-size hand-coloured photographs in the Victoria & Albert Museum.
At 70 metres, it is the only full-scale, almost exact replica of the original tapestry.
A former Mayor of Reading, Arthur Hill, bought it for the town from its creators, the Leek Embroidery Society, at the end of its world tour.
Reading’s tapestry hangs in a dedicated gallery here in Reading, where visitors are able to explore the famous Norman conquest story at their own speed.
As well as a series of guided tours next year, the Tapestry will also form part of a number of events here in Reading later this year.
Professor Michael Lewis, curator of the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum, is set to host a talk at Reading Museum in October, followed by a talk by Dr. David Musgrove, co-author of The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry, in November.
Matthew Williams, Reading Museum Manager said: “Reading Museum has seen enormous interest in Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry as a result of the British Museum exhibition.
“Our Victorian replica is identical in almost every aspect to the Norman original, painstakingly reproducing every single detail, stitch-by-stitch, so that the Tapestry’s timeless story could be enjoyed by the people of Britain.
“The guided tours by our expert staff provide the historical context to both the original and Victorian replica tapestries and the visit makes an interesting counterpoint to the British Museum exhibition and a fascinating visit in its own right.”
The Tapestry is available to see through guided tours at Reading Museum on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Professor Michael Lewis, curator of the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition at the British Museum hosts Exhibiting the Bayeux Tapestry on October 26.
Dr. David Musgrove, co-author of ‘The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry’ hosts The Bayeux Tapestry: a Medieval Embroidery with Superpowers on November 14.
Full details are available via: readingmuseum.org.uk/whats-on
