Rare 19th-Century Bayeux Tapestry Casts to Tour Six UK Venues
Starting in Hastings, a series of hand-painted plaster casts inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry will tour six locations across the UK. This is part of the 'Bayeux Around Britain' project, which aligns with the Tapestry’s exhibition at the British Museum. These casts, crafted by Charles Alfred Stothard in 1816 and added to the museum's collection in 1878, are rarely displayed. The tour will include stops at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery from September 10 to November 8, 2026, and several other venues. Dr. Nicholas Cullinan from the British Museum called it the museum's "most ambitious and inclusive program" involving over 60 partners, aiming to make the Tapestry more accessible.
Key facts
- The casts were made by Charles Alfred Stothard in 1816.
- Stothard applied wax directly to the Tapestry to make moulds.
- The British Museum acquired the three casts in 1878.
- The tour begins at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery from 10 September to 8 November 2026.
- Other venues include Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, National Library of Wales, Rievaulx Abbey, The Great Tapestry of Scotland, and Rochester Cathedral.
- The programme is supported by WorldQuant.
- A 3D-printed replica will allow visitors to touch the casts.
- The original Bayeux Tapestry is on display at the British Museum until July 2027.
Entities
Artists
- Charles Alfred Stothard
Institutions
- British Museum
- Hastings Museum & Art Gallery
- Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery
- National Library of Wales
- Rievaulx Abbey
- The Great Tapestry of Scotland
- Rochester Cathedral
- Society of Antiquaries
- WorldQuant
Locations
- Hastings
- United Kingdom
- Norwich
- Wales
- North Yorkshire
- Galashiels
- Rochester
- London