Hand-painted plaster casts of details from the Bayeux Tapestry will go on display at The Great Tapestry of Scotland in 2027 (date TBC), bringing the story of the Bayeux Tapestry to as wide an audience as possible.
Rarely on public display, the cast will bring visitors tantalisingly close to the Bayeux
Tapestry, connecting them with the original embroidery and those who made it. Alongside the touring object, several replicas have been made, allowing each host museum to engage with schools and communities in their area. The Spotlight Loan is part of Bayeux Around Britain, supported by WorldQuant, a nationwide programme designed by the Museum to communicate the story and significance of the Bayeux Tapestry to as many people as possible.
Explaining the significance of the casts that will be displayed at The Great Tapestry of Scotland, Millie Horton-Insch, Project Curator, British Museum, said: “This trio of Stothard’s casts are almost as exceptional as the Bayeux Tapestry itself. Taken directly from the Tapestry, they capture the textures and imagery which make the Bayeux Tapestry such an absorbing work of art. Visitors to the Spotlight Loan will be able to experience something of the magic of seeing the original and it’s hugely exciting that it will be brought to new audiences across the nation.”
Welcoming the loan, Sandy Maxwell-Forbes, Visitor Attraction Manager at Live Borders, the charitable trust responsible for operating The Great Tapestry of Scotland said: “As a partner in the British Museum’s WorldQuant supported Bayeux Around Britain programme, we’re thrilled to confirm that our Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre will be the only place in Scotland where Stothard’s casts will be displayed in 2027. While the Bayeux Tapestry itself remains on display in London in the British Museum, this gives visitors to our award-winning visitor centre in the Scottish Borders a unique way of getting closer to this exceptional historical tapestry.”
“We also look forward to celebrating the Bayeux Tapestry’s once-in-a-lifetime exhibit through our wider Two Nations: Two Tapestries programme. We will be revealing more details on this in the coming weeks.”
About Stothard’s Casts
For centuries, people have studied, copied and shared their own images and interpretations of the Tapestry – an extraordinary work of art that tells the dramatic story of the events leading up to, and including, the Norman invasion of England in 1066. In 1816, artist Charles Alfred Stothard was hired by London’s Society of Antiquaries to produce the first complete, colour drawings of the Tapestry, an extraordinary task. Stothard also took moulds of the embroidery by applying wax directly to its surface, a method of reproduction that, in risking the preservation of the Tapestry, would not be considered today. From these moulds he made a series of plaster casts, three of which were acquired as a group by the British Museum in 1878.
Stothard’s three casts feature Harold Godwinson, king of England from January to October 1066, and Duke William of Normandy, who defeated Harold at the battle of Hastings and seized the English crown. The cast is taken from scene 46 of the Tapestry, in which William hears news of Harold’s whereabouts, scene 30, which shows Harold at his coronation, and scene 48, where William wears full armour and holds a spear.
A life-sized 3D printed replica of the Stothard Cast will allow people to touch and feel the fine impressions on the cast. Additionally, hand embroidered replicas of details from the Tapestry will allow visitors to see what the actual tapestry might feel like. Alongside these materials, learning resources and activities will create a wraparound educational experience wherever the spotlight loan travels.
Two Nations: Two Tapestries: Bayeux Around Britain at The Great Tapestry of Scotland
While the Bayeux Tapestry itself is on display at the British Museum in London, The Great Tapestry of Scotland’s Two Nations: Two Tapestries programme is part of the WorldQuant-supported Bayeux Around Britain Programme, helping to make the Bayeux Tapestry’s story accessible to people across the UK. Two Nations: Two Tapestries will see the award-winning visitor centre in Galashiels host a range of events and exhibitions alongside the display of the Stothard Cast.
Beginning in October 2026, Two Nations: Two Tapestries will feature a range of talks, workshops and educational experiences exploring historic links with France, the influence of the Bayeux Tapestry on the work of Great Tapestry of Scotland artist Andrew Crummy, and reflections from living stitchers on what it might have been like to stitch the Bayeux Tapestry. The full programme will be launched here soon.
Two Nations: Two Tapestries takes place to complement The Bayeux Tapestry, presented by Igor Tulchinsky, at the British Museum, which is open to the public until July 2027.